Nathan Freier

Outplayed: Regaining Strategic Initiative in the Gray Zone, a National Security Research Project Nathan Freier

U. S. competitors pursuing meaningful revision or rejection of the current U. S.-led status quo are employing a host of hybrid methods to advance and secure interests contrary to those of the United States. These challengers employ unique combinations of influence, intimidation, coercion, and aggression to incrementally crowd out effective resistance, establish local or regional advantage, and manipulate risk perceptions in their favor. So far, the United States has not come up with a coherent countervailing approach. It is in this "gray zone"--the awkward and uncomfortable space between traditional conceptions of war and peace--where the United States and its defense enterprise face systemic challenges to U. S. position and authority. Gray zone competition and conflict present fundamental challenges to U. S. and partner security and, consequently, should be important pacers for U. S. defense strategy.

Audience: U. S. Department of Defense military leaders, service personnel, especially strategists and U. S. military counterparts around the world may be most interested in this text. Military financial benefactors may also be interested in this work as some of the strategies may be costly to annual budgets in efforts for a more secure U. S. world . Military and political science students, especially students in ROTC programs may find this text most beneficial to coursework assignments.

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