Chip War and the Battle for Technological Sovereignty: A Hybrid Warfare Perspective

Robert Redding

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Semiconductors as a Hybrid Warfare Battleground

In the CORE framework, hybrid threats are defined as multi-domain strategies that exploit systemic vulnerabilities to undermine democratic institutions, economic stability, and national security. Miller’s analysis of the global semiconductor supply chain perfectly aligns with this concept. The world’s reliance on a handful of key players—such as Taiwan’s TSMC, the U.S.’s Intel, and the Netherlands’ ASML—exposes critical infrastructure to potential disruption from adversarial state and non-state actors.

One of the book’s key takeaways is that microchip supply chains are not merely an economic concern but a central pillar of national security. The U.S.-China rivalry over semiconductor dominance exemplifies how economic interdependencies can be weaponized. This is a classic case of economic hybrid warfare, where states use trade restrictions, technological embargoes, and cyber espionage to exert pressure on adversaries. The U.S. export bans on advanced chips and fabrication equipment to China, coupled with China’s retaliatory measures, fit within the broader spectrum of hybrid threats outlined in CORE.