Educational Initiative Using Simulation Training for the Evolving Landscape of Hybrid Warfare and Its Devastating Impacts: A Scoping Review

Hybrid warfare (HW), blending military, irregular, cyber, and informational tactics, poses significant policy challenges across armed conflict, conflict resolution, defense strategy, peacekeeping, and international security. It exploits vulnerabilities without necessarily triggering a full-scale war. Preparing for this complex threat requires enhancing cognitive skills and critical thinking through realistic scenarios. Simulation-based training is vital in this regard, as it provides a platform to address the multifaceted nature of hybrid attacks. Following the PRISMA framework, a structured scoping review methodology was applied, including peer-reviewed and gray literature published between 2010 and 2025. Four reviewers explored the complexities of hybrid warfare, its implications for policy domains, and effective resilience strategies through in-depth analysis of 30 studies and eight educational programs. This review highlights critical gaps in existing hybrid warfare preparedness and introduces a novel, theoretically grounded tabletop simulation framework designed to bolster cognitive and intersectoral resilience.