Book Review: "Grey Zone Warfare: Way Ahead for India" Author- Lieutenant General Dushyant Singh
The author argues for an "all-nations approach" to tackle grey zone threats, which involves integrating all agencies dealing with the grey zone while upholding a rules-based international order.
NewsBharati 04-Jul-2025 11:45:58 AM
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Grey Zone Warfare: Way Ahead for India by Lieutenant General Dushyant Singh PVSM, AVSM (Retd),
Pages 274, Price B 1450/-, ISBN 978-81-19438-02-0, Vij Books
Grey Zone War has become the preferred choice of countries to secure their national interests due to low cost, deniability, and difficulty in attribution. The book has attempted to demystify the grey zone warfare and thereafter highlight the grey threats that India is facing especially from its arch rivals China and Pakistan. At the same time, it has also examined countries indulging in grey zone activities such as US, Russia, and Israel to draw out lessons in formulating a way ahead for India.
Grey zone warfare, characterized by its low cost and deniability, has become the preferred method for nations to advance their national interests. Lieutenant General Dushyant Singh's book, "Grey Zone Warfare: Way Ahead for India," attempts to demystify this evolving form of conflict. The book examines how countries engage in grey zone tactics, highlights the threats India faces, and proposes changes to India's security architecture. As technology blurs the lines between war and peace, the spectrum of conflict has expanded to include political, economic, cyber, information, and irregular warfare, as well as lawfare, proxy wars, and hybrid warfare. Singh's work explores the complexities of these new forms of conflict and suggests appropriate responses and structural modifications.
- About the Author
Lieutenant General Dushyant Singh (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, was commissioned into the 9 MARATHA Light Infantry in December 1981, eventually commanding the battalion. His distinguished career includes numerous command, staff, and instructional appointments across various terrains, notably commanding his Brigade and Division in Jammu & Kashmir and 11 Corps in Punjab. An alumnus of the National Defence College, he specialized in terrorist operations and financing at the Defence Counter Terrorism Programme at the Naval Post Graduate School in the United States. He has also served twice in the National Security Guard. A prolific writer and scholar, General Singh previously headed the Army War College and currently serves as the Director General of the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.
About the Book
The book is divided into eight chapters and six appendices, offering a comprehensive look at grey zone warfare.
Chapters and Themes
Chapter 1: Grey Zone as the Emerging Frontier in War
The chapter sets the stage by highlighting the increasing prominence of grey zone warfare as the preferred tool for states to achieve national interests. General Singh aptly illustrates the concept's deniability, low cost, and difficulty in attribution, making it an attractive option for adversaries. The author provides compelling examples, such as the targeting of the Mumbai electricity grid in 2020, to underscore the tangible impacts of these ostensibly "below-threshold" activities. This chapter effectively establishes the urgency and relevance of the subject, prompting readers to consider the shifting paradigms of conflict.
Author introduces the concept of the grey zone as a new battleground, citing the targeting of the Mumbai electricity grid on October 10, 2020, as an example. He notes how the COVID-19 crisis further complicated this space, with countries fabricating narratives for blame or to serve national interests. The author provocatively questions whether India's perceived weak response in this domain stems from idealism, a lack of capability, or a lack of political will.
Chapter 2: Demystifying Grey Zone Warfare
In this pivotal chapter, General Singh delves into the theoretical framework of grey zone warfare, clarifying its distinctions from related concepts like "hybrid warfare." He argues that the term "grey zone" is not a geographically defined area but rather a "color-based metaphor" describing a state between war and peace. The author's explanation of grey zone activities as aimed at securing political or territorial gains without crossing the threshold of open warfare is precise and insightful. This chapter provides a critical conceptual foundation, enabling a clearer understanding of the nuanced nature of these conflicts.
Chapter 3: Russia – An Adept Practitioner Quoting General Gerasimov ("War in the 21st Century is conducted at a roughly four-to-one ratio of non-military and traditional military tools and tactics"), Singh highlights Russia as a master of grey zone tactics. He explains the six stages of the Gerasimov Doctrine, even acknowledging Michael Kofman's counter-argument denying the doctrine's existence. The chapter details Russia's grey zone activities, from its "nuclear campaign to maintain a strategic advantage with the US" to expanding its global influence, asserting that Russia "has played the grey zone with all instruments of statecraft."
Chapter 4: The US – A Subtle Player Singh categorizes the United States as a "subtle player" in the grey zone. He references a study by Lindsey O’Rourke, stating that between 1947 and 1989, the US attempted 72 regime changes, 64 of which were covert. More recently, the US has been involved in the "War on Terror" in Afghanistan and regime changes in Iraq and Libya. While overt reasons for intervention may seem straightforward, they are primarily linked to securing US interests. These activities range from proxy wars and economic coercion to information operations, which benefit from a "lack of attributability." This includes media campaigns against India, with the author citing various US newspaper articles as evidence.
Chapter 5: China – The Dragon is Not Far Behind Citing Sun Tzu's maxim, "Subdue the enemy without fighting," Singh asserts that "The Dragon is not far behind in the grey world." China's preferred tools are "information operations," including stifling criticism of the Chinese Communist Party by dissidents abroad. "Unrestricted Warfare" appears to be its overarching concept, operationalized through "The three-warfare strategy." The People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force, particularly its Network Systems Department, spearheads these efforts. Quoting Colonel Xiangsui, the author emphasizes that "All means will be in readiness, that information will be omnipresent and the battlefield will be everywhere. It means weapons and technology can be superimposed at will and the boundaries between military and non-military and war and peace will be destroyed." Singh concludes that China considers India a major regional challenger and aims to keep it unsettled.
Chapter 6: Israel – Master of Grey Zone Warfare Singh hails Israel as a master of grey zone warfare, though he identifies a "chink in its armor." Israel's tactics primarily target countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, as well as non-state actors such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel consistently blends traditional warfare with grey zone actions, including assassinations. The book details the elimination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh by "a high-tech computerized sharpshooter kitted with artificial intelligence and multiple camera eyes operated via a satellite." Though Israel did not claim responsibility, many believe it was involved. The author also recounts Israel's cyber-attack using the "StuxNet" virus to disrupt Iran's nuclear weapon development program. However, he notes Israel's vulnerability in the information domain to the Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas, which Israel countered with its "Hasbara" concept, refined into a more centralized policy incorporating a greater number of social media platforms.
India's Challenges and Way Forward
These chapters shift focus to India's specific challenges. General Singh meticulously details the grey zone threats emanating from India's traditional rivals, China and Pakistan. He explains how these nations employ various grey zone tactics to undermine India's security interests. For instance, in the context of China, the author discusses "salami-slicing" tactics, information warfare, and economic coercion, while for Pakistan, it encompass proxy warfare and cross-border terrorism. This chapter is vital for its direct relevance to India's strategic landscape, offering a nuanced understanding of the adversaries' methods.
Chapters 7 & 8: India’s Challenges and Organizing for Response These chapters form the core of the book, outlining the author's vision for India's response to grey zone threats. Regarding China, Singh posits that while China views the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) as linked to its security interests, it is unlikely to escalate border skirmishes into major conflict. Instead, China will likely continue grey zone activities through "salami slicing," cyber-attacks, regime changes in India's neighborhood (Myanmar being a current example), information operations, and leveraging other countries against India, as seen with Nepal's Lipulekh border dispute during the Galwan crisis.
Pakistan, described as a "Past Master," has waged a proxy war against India with "minuscule sums in terms of military and finances." Its consistent use of non-military means to achieve objectives below the threshold of war has yielded disproportionate outcomes, as evidenced in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. In the latter, Pakistan uses the diplomatic domain to multilateralize what India views as a bilateral issue. Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) controls terror groups used against India.
Strategic Communication
Strategic communication is identified as a critical component of grey zone warfare, with social media and digital manipulation being the new tools for misinformation. Singh emphasizes that social media is the "domain for the future" and provides case studies, including the Shaheen Bagh protest, to support his argument. At the core of information warfare is "building a strong narrative."
The author suggests various communication strategies for social media, print, and traditional electronic media. He highlights the need for a dedicated body to handle information warfare, perhaps a "National Strategic Communication Authority." He stresses the imperative to develop both offensive and defensive solutions in the grey zone, requiring greater synergy among all components of the security architecture, dovetailed with foreign policy objectives.
A whole-of-nation approach to national security is vital, though Singh acknowledges that a traditionally laid-down, black-and-white grey zone policy may not be feasible due to the inherent ambiguity.
Overall Assessment:
"Grey Zone Warfare: Way Ahead for India" is a commendable and essential contribution to contemporary strategic thought. Lieutenant General Dushyant Singh's extensive experience and academic rigor shine through in his comprehensive analysis. The book's strengths lie in its clear demystification of grey zone concepts, its detailed examination of specific threats faced by India from China and Pakistan, and its insightful case studies of other major powers. The "whole of nation" approach advocated by the author is a valuable takeaway, highlighting the need for inter-agency coordination and a holistic response.
While the book provides a strong foundation, the evolving nature of grey zone threats means that some recommendations may require continuous refinement. Nevertheless, it serves as an indispensable resource for policymakers, military strategists, academics, and anyone interested in understanding the complex security challenges of the 21st century and India's potential responses. The book successfully achieves its objective of providing an unbiased and well-researched perspective on grey zone warfare from an Indian lens.
Conclusion and Impact
Given the inherent advantages of operating in shades of grey, nations increasingly favor it as a strategic tool, with technological advancements further enhancing its appeal. The author argues for an "all-nations approach" to tackle grey zone threats, which involves integrating all agencies dealing with the grey zone while upholding a rules-based international order. The Galwan incident is presented as a prime example of China's skillful grey zone activity, driven by its displeasure with India's stance on the coronavirus, the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, and the construction of the Leh-Darbuk-Shyok-DBO Road, all aimed at testing India's resolve.
This meticulously researched book is a scholarly work whose arguments are well-supported by adequate references. It will prove invaluable to security practitioners and policymakers seeking clarity on the complexities of grey zone warfare. As nations continue to exploit the ambiguity of grey zones at multiple levels to circumvent international laws and shape a more ambiguous world order, the central challenge remains: how to preserve the values and rules of combat in an environment where "there are no rules and nothing is forbidden."
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BRIG Hemant Mahajan
Passionate writer on National Security related issues, Brig Hemant Mahajan YSM (Retd) is M Sc, M Phil in Defence Studies. He joined IMA Dehradun in July 1973 and passed out as a Commissioned Officer on 15 June 1975. He was commissioned into 7 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY. He has served extensively in Counter Insurgency Operations in Insurgency and Terrorist prone areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and North East and has taken part in all important operations undertaken by the Army since 1975.
Brig Hemant Mahajan served in Jammu & Kashmir, in the deserts of Rajasthan, in Super High Altitude areas of Kargil and Leh, forward areas of Arunachal Pradesh. He was deployed in Punjab in ‘Operation Avert’. He was also involved in maintaining peace post ‘Operation Bluestar’ days in Punjab in the worst affected district of Gurdaspur, Taran Taran and Amritsar.He served in the areas of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Siliguri and Sikkim. He commanded his battalion 7 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY in Operation Rakshak in the most difficult areas of Poonch and Rajouri during the times of highest militancy. His unit was responsible for stopping terrorists from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir. His unit was awarded Unit Citation, 18 gallantry awards including YSM (gallantry) for the officer.