NATO'S ANTI HYBRID STRATEGY

NATO's anti-hybrid strategy As mentioned earlier, in 2014 NATO found itself faced with two significant, hybrid-type conflicts in its eastern and southern neighbourhoods. It is no coincidence that the Association adopted its anti-hybrid strategy one year after that, in 2015. In essence, this document can be considered more of a statement of intent than a concrete action plan, but its content highlights the versatility of NATO's anti-hybrid approach. The Alliance's anti-hybrid strategy consists of three pillars, which actually indicate a kind of conflict escalation level.18 The first pillar is preparedness. This is a preventive step at the lowest level of potential crises. This may affect a number of specific areas, such as the protection of critical infrastructure, strategic communications, cyber defense and energy security. Within this framework, NATO also organizes hybrid trainings and exercises. The second pillar is deterrence, when there is a real chance of a military conflict unfolding. In addition to the previously described "soft" tools, the focus here is on defense capabilities and their psychological deterrent effect. Finally, the third, highest-level pillar of the strategy is defense. At this point, NATO's traditional collective defense function comes into play, protecting allied member states from external threats through military force.

SOURCE: https://honvedelem.hu/images/media/5f58be6a541fd910731757.pdf