The Impact of Hybrid Threats on National Security: Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention and Transformation

ანოტაცია

The contemporary security environment is characterized by the growing dominance of hybrid threats, where military and non-military (cyber, information, economic) instruments are simultaneously utilized to dismantle the internal stability of an opposing state. This paper, from the perspective of the Conflict Studies discipline, analyzes the impact of hybrid warfare on national security, focusing on mechanisms for conflict prevention and long-term transformation.

The core objective of the research is to substantiate that the ultimate target of hybrid aggression is social solidarity and institutional legitimacy, which necessitates the transformation of the defense concept from purely military deterrence to national resilience building. The research employs a qualitative analysis method, including frameworks from escalation theory and conflict transformation.

Key findings reveal that effective prevention requires the use of strategic communications as a means of cognitive defense, which reduces society’s media-vulnerability. The most effective long-term response is resilience building, which strengthens institutional accountability and social cohesion, thereby causing the coercive instruments of the hybrid actor to lose political power. The paper recommends rethinking defense doctrine, where social cohesion is defined as critical infrastructure. The guarantee of national security in the hybrid era is the transformation of the state-society relationship and the creation of a strong, internal front.