NEW DELHI: The Indian security establishment has been conducting an exercise to bring multiple agencies on a common ground following China’s wider application of ‘Grey Zone Warfare.’ The Grey Zone is defined as “competitive interactions among and within state and non-state actors that fall between the traditional war and peace duality” by the United States Special Operations Command.
Multiple sources in the Indian security establishment called the ongoing exercise a significant initiative and have confirmed an elaborate multi-page note on the Grey Zone Warfare sent to more than 10 agencies, which included those from intelligence, military and the Central Armed Police Forces. The exercise also initiated the pooling of ideas to counter it.
“The exercise has been of good use,” said a source, but did not elaborate on its outcome. Mentioning China’s application of Grey Zone Warfare (GZW), the note cites instances such as the South China Sea, the development of the border defence villages along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Chinese investment in the media. The same tactics were also rolled out during Doklam, said the sources.
The paper identifies Grey Zone Warfare being employed by China against India and its friendly neighbours. China’s major application of GZW is related to the border defence villages that gained impetus after the 19th Communist Party Congress in October 2017.
These more than 600 villages are being built to create a buffer. These will be of multiple usages, including facilitation of movement along the borders, a means of surveillance on forces and strengthening territorial claims. It also says that there should be facilities comparable to or better than China, including roads, habitation, power and other amenities. The highlight is Chinese investment in “news aggregation and applications” in India.