The research paper examines the relation between theoretical descriptions of hybrid warfare and national observation of the phenomena in the Baltic countries. The study is based on the research problem that there is no coherent definition and scholarly debate about the nature of hybrid warfare. By comparing theoretical hybrid components with threats in the national security- and defence concepts of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the study aims to determine whether the theories accurately reflect empirical perception. The theoretical framework was based on 3 theories of hybrid warfare, which describes both military and non-military aspects of hybrid threats. The research study is that of a comparative case study. The security- and defence concepts is studied through the method of qualitative text analysis.
The results of the study show that several of the hybrid components is described and is seen as a threat in the cases. However, the results were impaired, mainly due to temporal difference between studied texts, incoherent definitions of central concepts and lacking distinctions between internal and external influences in text and theory. The analysis concludesthat a continued focus on the inclusion of non-military means is relevant in studies about hybrid warfare and contemporary conflict.