NATO–EU Strategic Priority: Information Superiority & Counter-Hybrid Operations
Information superiority and counter-hybrid operations have emerged as decisive components of contemporary defence and security strategy within the Euro-Atlantic space. In recent years, adversaries have intensified the use of non-conventional tools to undermine democratic institutions, manipulate public opinion, and disrupt critical infrastructure. These activities include disinformation campaigns, cyber intrusions, covert influence operations, and hybrid interference designed to blur the distinction between peace and conflict. The strategic use of digital platforms, artificial intelligence, satellite services, and open-source intelligence has accelerated the operational tempo and complexity of such threats. Within this context, NATO and the European Union have progressively recognised that information dominance is not merely a support function but a core enabler of deterrence, defence, and operational cohesion. The ability to collect, fuse, protect, and exploit information at scale—while neutralising hostile narratives and hybrid disruptions—has become central to maintaining strategic autonomy and decision-making superiority. The current security environment, shaped by technological diffusion, strategic competition, and the persistent grey-zone activities of state and non-state actors, has placed information operations at the heart of both strategic planning and tactical execution. Consequently, countering hybrid threats and achieving information superiority now demand integrated political attention, military capabilities, civilian resilience, and long-term industrial and regulatory adaptation.
This report reconstructs the strategic priority of “Information Superiority and Counter-Hybrid Operations” through a detailed, six-part analytical framework that traces the full institutional and operational logic underpinning the concept. It begins with a contextual analysis of the political and strategic rationale, examining the drivers that led NATO, the EU, and allied states to elevate this domain to a core priority within the broader defence and deterrence architecture. The second section translates this strategic intent into operational design, assessing how the priority is reflected in regional defence plans, joint doctrines, and multidomain operational configurations. The third part identifies the tactical and capability requirements emerging from these operational settings, focusing on sensing, situational awareness, force protection, and resilience. The fourth section examines how the priority is implemented through administrative and regulatory instruments, including procurement frameworks, industrial strategies, and cross-border cooperation tools. The fifth section analyses the structural bottlenecks and strategic dependencies that constrain implementation, from technological fragmentation to supply chain vulnerabilities. Finally, the sixth section outlines the implications for industrial actors, research institutions, and investment ecosystems, clarifying how this priority reshapes the opportunity space across defence, technology, and capital sectors. This structured approach ensures coherence between political objectives, operational integration, and industrial capacity-building.