The gray zone refers to a strategic space between peace and open conflict, where state and non-state actors employ a blend of non-military and quasi-military tools, such as cyberattacks, disinformation, proxy warfare, and economic coercion to pursue national interests without triggering full-scale war. While these tactics have historical precedent, globalization, digital technologies, and interconnected markets have broadened the range and opacity of gray-zone operations, making attribution and response increasingly complex. This ambiguous domain allows actors to exploit the vulnerabilities of open societies and international norms while avoiding direct confrontation. Although the concept lacks a universally agreed definition, it offers a valuable analytical framework for understanding modern great-power competition below the threshold of armed conflict. Situated within the broader logic of offensive realism, gray-zone strategies reflect a calculated pursuit of relative power through gradualist, deniable, and escalatory means.

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• Starling, C. G., Iyer, A., & Giesler, R. J. (2021, May 10). Today’s wars are fought in the gray zone. Here’s everything you need to know about it. Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/todays-wars-are-fought-in-the-gray-zone-heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-it/