The Silent Enemy: Non-traditional Challenges to National Security

Strong militaries alone are not enough to secure a nation. A wide range of non-traditional issues—such as financial instability; food water and health insecurities; energy shortages; organized crime; climate change; terrorism by non-state actors backed by a state; and technological disruptions—play a critical role. Yet these often receive insufficient attention as policymakers tend to treat them as secondary. This mindset must change as old frameworks cannot address new challenges. Operation Sindoor is a good example of a new approach.