The old proverb, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, relates to the concept of hybrid threat. Army doctrine defines a hybrid threat as the diverse and dynamic combination of regular forces, irregular forces, and/or criminal elements all unified to achieve mutually benefitting effects (TC 7-100). Corruption, social views, political interests, and economic gain tie these organizations together with the sole purpose to disrupt and achieve their goals. Hybrid threats are normally funded, networked, and possess innovation to adapt to opposing strategies. The two adaptation process discussed below are natural and direct.

The first adaptation process used by hybrid threat is to adapt through natural means. They will try to corrupt political officers, military leaders, law enforcement, or other agencies to gain political control or favor. The hybrid threat may force uncontested farmers to grow marijuana or poppy as a cash crop to help finance their cause. They will use this revenue to purchase weapons or develop weapon laboratories, recruit new members, justify their cause through propaganda, and to purchase new technologies to help gain an informational advantage.

The natural adaptation process can be observed in the drug cartels of Columbia. The Medellin Cartel was a …show more content…
This process is through lessons learned. As the United States develops new strategies to counter the hybrid threat, the hybrid threat will then change their tactics using innovation. The drug cartels have used this adaptation throughout their existence. Running drugs on aircraft proved very successful but as law enforcement began to seize their cargo, the drug cartels had to change their strategy. The cartels developed the process of air dropping the drugs to predetermined locations using parachutes. This allowed the delivery of the drugs without having to land the aircraft risking the possibility of losing their