The Rise of Asymmetrical Warfare in Great Power Competition

Abstract

This Qualitative study aims to explore the Asymmetric warfare has transformed the power relations among major countries such as Russia, China, and the United States, and has become an integral part of contemporary global conflicts. The non-state and state act as the weaker actors and can exploit their opponents by experiencing asymmetric perspective of the war such as cyberattacks, deception, proxy warfare, and guerilla tactics. This paper highlights the ways in which events like the US pullout from Afghanistan, Russia's hybrid war in Ukraine, and China's political warfare in the Indo-Pacific demonstrate how these approaches challenge conventional military dominance. Technology, urban combat, and strategic patience are emphasized as factors that enable asymmetry in the study, which draws on realist, hybrid, and revolution in military affairs (RMA) theories. Cyber defense, strategic communication, partnerships, and civic resilience are the new security tactics that the results strongly recommend. To keep the peace and safeguard national interests in a world where the international order is always changing, it is crucial to comprehend and combat asymmetric warfare.