Gaining Competitive Advantage in the Gray Zone: Response Options for Coercive Aggression Below the Threshold of Major War
Abstract
The United States is entering a period of intensifying strategic competition with several rivals, most notably Russia and China. U.S. officials expect this competition to be played out primarily below the threshold of armed conflict, in what is sometimes termed the gray zone between peace and war. This report offers the results of a RAND Corporation study examining how the United States might respond to Russian and Chinese efforts to seek strategic advantage through coercive actions. The study sought to build on extensive work to define and understand the gray zone challenge by focusing especially on what to do about it - laying out a strategic concept for the issue and a menu of response options. This report defines the principles on which a theory of success should rest, outlines a four-part concept for responding to gray zone aggression, and identifies and evaluates 35 types of responses that can be used as options for U.S. policy in dealing with gray zone threats.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1086678
Entities
People
- Anika Binnendijk
- Jeffrey W. Hornung
- Lyle J. Morris
- Marta Kepe
- Michael J. Mazarr
- Stephanie Pezard
Organizations
- RAND Corporation