Title: Future war
Subtitle: continuous conflict in an era of rising peer competitors
Description: This monograph explores the evolving character of warfare in the 21st century, emphasizing the persistence of conflict across political, economic, informational, and military domains. Balasevicius argues that future wars will be continuous, hybrid, and multi-domain, fought simultaneously across overlapping battlefields where rising peer competitors challenge Western military dominance. The work provides strategic insights for NATO, Canada, and allied planners, highlighting the need for adaptive doctrine, resilience, and preparedness against hybrid threats.
Subjects: Military art and science—ForecastingHybrid warfare—21st centuryMilitary doctrine—CanadaPeer competitors (International relations)Multi-domain operations (Military science)Continuous conflict—Strategic analysisSpecial operations forces—Education and trainingCanada—National defense policyNATO—Strategic planningFuture warfare—Political and military aspects
Places: Global: The monograph situates conflict as worldwide, spanning multiple domains (land, sea, air, cyber, space).Arctic/Northern Flank: Special emphasis on Canada’s Arctic and NATO’s northern approaches as contested zones.Urban Environments: Cities highlighted as future battlefields where hybrid tactics converge.Cyber/Information Space: Treated as a “place” of conflict alongside physical geography.
People: Peer Competitors: Russia, China (primary state actors challenging Western military dominance).Western Alliances: NATO, Canada, United States — positioned as defenders of the current order.Non-State Actors: Terrorist groups, insurgents, and irregular forces as part of hybrid conflict.Military Institutions: Canadian Armed Forces, Special Operations Forces, allied militaries.
Time periods: Contemporary Era: Written in 2019, analyzing the strategic environment of the late 2010s.Near Future (2020s–2030s): Projects trends in continuous conflict, anticipating peer competition intensifying over the next decades.Post-Cold War Context: Frames the shift from unipolar dominance (1990s–2000s) to multipolar rivalry.