5 GW and hybrid warfare its implications and response options

Abstract

The concept of Generations of Modern Warfare (GMW) was formally introduced in 1989 by United States’ military scholars William Lind with Colonel Keith Nightengale (USA), Captain John F. Schmitt (USMC), Colonel Joseph W. Sutton (USA), and Lieutenant Colonel Gary I. Wilson. Since then, five generations of warfare have been defined and further explained by international academia and military thinkers across the globe. Research on global security has led to identification of another new generation of warfare which is hybrid in nature. The academia believes that “Hybrid Warfare” has shown its manifestation and is continuously evolving itself. The concept is that both 5th Generation Warfare (5GW) and Hybrid Warfare require a different perspective than what we have applied so far on the other generations and forms of warfare. No commonly accepted definition exists for both 5GW and Hybrid Warfare. Some see 5GW as a decentralized form of warfare as it is characterized by blurring lines between war and politics, combatants and civilians, being a long term and complex warfare. On the other hand Hybrid Warfare is a military strategy that blends conventional, irregular and Cyber Warfare and is product of new technologies like nanotechnology, coupled with an indirect political approach. Given the rate at which change in warfare is accelerating, it is reasonable to accept that 5GW has transformed itself to Hybrid Warfare. These two kinds of threats have multi-faceted dimensions and the security arrangements against them will have to undergo immense changes. Modern armies of the world would be required to adopt comprehensive strategies to counter both the 5GW and Hybrid Warfare.