Hezbollah represents the modern standard by which we compare other hybrid threats to. It's actions and involvement in the 2006 Lebanon-Israel War led to a perception shift about who and what qualifies as a threat to a modern nation-state. I will briefly expand upon Hezbollah's origins, capabilities, and actions during the 2006 conflict which led to the reemergence and recognition of hybrid threats in the modern era. Hezbollah is a militant Shi'a group headquartered and founded in Lebanon in 1982, where it also employs a political wing of the same name. It originated in South Lebanon when several militant groups joined together to oppose a Shi'a political and militant party called the Amal Movement. Hezbollah's primary focus in its formative years was the expulsion of Israel from Lebanon, after Israel's invasion in the early 1980s. From it's inception, Hezbollah utilized tactics and techniques across the entire spectrum of land operations, using guerrilla tactics alongside conventional forces, coupled with propaganda and political maneuvering. …show more content…
It's armed personnel strength includes a hardcore cadre of 1000 full time fighters, who are normally leaders and trainers of the additional 8,000-10,000 volunteers it can call on in short notice. According to some Middle East news agencies, they can call upon up to 60,000 fighters, though this is disputed. Along with their front-line fighters, they also employ a Special Forces capability in the form of their "Secret Service", with support from Lebanese intelligence. Their most notable weapon system is the Katyusha 122mm rocket, with a range of 18 miles. They also employ a variety of Anti Tank (AT) weapon systems, including the AT-3-5, AT-13 and the advanced AT-14. Their ADA systems are comprised of SA-7 shoulder fired missles, although these are augmented by the SA-18 SAM, and ZU-23 towed