Hybrid Warfare: Conflict Beyond the Battlefield

This episode forms part of STANDEASY's continuing Threats Series, examining the evolving challenges facing Ireland, Europe, and the wider international security environment.In this episode, I’m joined by Professor Andrew Mumford, Professor of War Studies at the University of Nottingham, to examine one of the most frequently discussed and often misunderstood concepts in contemporary security: hybrid warfare.While many people associate conflict with conventional military force, today's security environment increasingly involves activities that operate below the threshold of war. Cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns, espionage, economic coercion, political interference, and attacks on critical infrastructure have become key features of the modern strategic landscape.The discussion explores what hybrid warfare actually means, whether it represents a genuinely new form of conflict, and how hostile states seek to exploit vulnerabilities within democratic societies.We examine why Europe was slow to recognise the scale of the challenge, why Ireland's geographic position, maritime domain, and strategic infrastructure make it relevant to wider European security debates, and the growing concerns surrounding foreign influence, espionage, and threats to critical national infrastructure.The episode also considers what hybrid warfare means for Irish neutrality, national resilience, and the difficult policy choices governments face when responding to activities that exist in the grey zone between peace and conflict.As geographical distance becomes less relevant and adversaries increasingly target societies rather than armies, the conversation asks whether traditional assumptions about security remain fit for purpose in an interconnected and contested world.STANDEASY is Ireland's podcast exploring defence, security, and the State's place in the world.