Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

Hybrid warfare is an ever-growing threat to Sweden’s national security. Hybrid warfare is the act of operating in the so-called grey zone between peace and open conflict. In Sweden, recent incidents have been reported that could be categorized as possible hybrid attacks. The problem with hybrid warfare is founded in the difficulty of detecting, attributing, and responding to hybrid attacks, as they often involve deniability, and non-military means that complicate traditional defense strategies. The purpose of this study is to investigate how hybrid warfare is conducted against Sweden today, using a theory-consuming approach and creating a theoretical framework based of Hoffman’s concept of hybrid warfare, Weissman’s Hybridity Blizzard Model, and Suchkov’s New Generation Warfare. Through a qualitative analysis of empirical cases of suspected hybrid attacks, the study seeks to understand the methods used, their effects on Swedish society, and the challenge that hybrid warfare poses to Swedish national security. The results of this study show that hybrid threats against Sweden are multifaceted, combining methods like sabotage, cyber influence, and psychological operations. These actions possible aim is to destabilize Swedish society, reduce trust in democratic institutions, and weaken the country’s resilience. The study concludes that hybrid warfare represents a persistent and evolving challenge that demands an enhanced capability to identify, classify, and manage hybrid threats within Swedish defense and security policy.