Maritime Coercion and Gray Zone Conflicts

The essay addresses issues related to so-called “gray zone conflicts,” focusing particularly on those taking place in the maritime domain. After framing the concept on the theoretical level (including in relation to the concept of “hybrid warfare”) and highlighting the peculiar characteristics of such conflicts, the essay reviews a wide range of cases, paying special attention to the maritime gray zone operations implemented in recent decades by China in the South and East China Seas. The essay concludes with a critical analysis of different possible strategies to counter these kinds of operations.