Strategic Context & Motivation

Hybrid warfare in the 2020s has reshaped the global threat environment. Traditional markers of war—soldiers, borders, and physical infrastructure—have been eclipsed by memetic conflict, cognitive infiltration, and infrastructure sabotage through code. Russia’s operations in Ukraine revealed the power of disinformation to paralyze a nation before a single missile is launched. China’s algorithmic narratives distort foreign policy debates, while cyberterrorist networks exploit EU institutions via ransomware and infrastructure targeting. These operations transcend time zones and treaties—they operate at machine speed.

Despite increasing coordination, Europe’s digital defense posture remains fragmented. Siloed intelligence systems, institutional friction, and a lack of anticipatory frameworks leave member states vulnerable to AI-enabled threats. AIGIS EU addresses this fragmentation by proposing a unified doctrine to protect infrastructure, democracy, and societal cohesion at the epistemic level.