Opinion | Asymmetric Warfare Is Quietly Changing The Calculus In West Asia

Lt Gen Dushyant Singh

States that field advanced combat aircraft and precision weapons still face adversaries who possess far less hardware yet manage to impose real costs.

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It is hard to reconcile the image of West Asia as a chaotic region which a few months back boasted of vast energy reserves, modern air-defence networks and close security ties with major powers. States that field advanced combat aircraft and precision weapons still face adversaries who possess far less hardware yet manage to impose real costs. The mismatch is not new, but its effects have become harder to ignore.

How does one explain this dichotomy?

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The pattern is usually described as asymmetric warfare. The weaker side avoids the kind of fight the stronger side is built to win. It looks instead for vulnerabilities—political, logistical, economic or reputational—and tries to stretch the opponent’s resources and patience. Success, however, depends on more than clever tactics. Recent conflicts in the region suggest five connected things for edging out the superior adversary: a clear strategy, the ability to keep fighting, protection of the civilian population, the resilience of the wider society, and the intelligent use of available technology.

Military Superiority Does Not Guarantee Strategic Victory

Conventional military thinking long assumed that superior technology and firepower would eventually force a weaker adversary to stop. That assumption has looked less reliable. Israel maintains one of the most capable militaries in the world. The United States can project power on a scale no one else matches. Several Gulf states have bought modern aircraft and integrated air-defence systems. Yet Iran and groups linked to it have used missiles, drones and dispersed infrastructure to complicate planning for stronger opponents.

The Houthis have shown that relatively cheap weapons can threaten........

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