Hybrid attacks, joint responses
Europe and Asia are working on joint security solutions – from cyber defence to terror prevention.
In October 2025, Indian and European special forces were chasing a drone in the northern Indian city of Gurugram. Within seconds, elite units from India’s National Security Guard and the EU High Risk Security Network coordinated their defence.
Luckily, this was just a simulated threat. The units spent three days testing sensors, AI-assisted early warning systems and tactics against drone attacks. The result: deployment plans that might soon be adopted in Mumbai, Madrid and Munich. ‘This joint training exercise shows how the EU and India are turning commitment into action, working side by side to keep our citizens safe,’ explained H.E. Hervé Delphin, Ambassador of the European Union to India.
In this video, GIZ project manager Christopher Will explains why hybrid threats pose such a challenge. GIZ and the French development agency Expertise France are strengthening the defence capabilities of Europe and the Indo-Pacific in the ESIWA+ project.
Hybrid threats know no borders
The challenges are similar everywhere: hybrid threats such as cyber attacks, targeted disinformation and physical sabotage are not confined by borders. While Europe is having to deal with Russia’s hybrid tactics, countries in Asia are facing interference from China in the South China Sea and the manipulation of political debates. Critical infrastructure – from power grids to ports and data cables – is vulnerable everywhere. European nations and countries in the Indo-Pacific region are working together to protect and defend themselves more effectively.
GIZ and Expertise France: building bridges between Europe and Asia
A team of security experts from GIZ and the French development agency Expertise France is supporting these efforts. The commission was placed by the European Union, the German Federal Foreign Office and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. GIZ and its French counterpart are acting as intermediaries between European and Asian security forces so that these forces can contribute their regional know-how.
What does that look like in practice? When Japan realised that extremists were using gaming platforms for radicalisation purposes, the team organised a meeting within a matter of days with EU investigators who had worked on similar cases. When Malaysia needed support in dealing with cyber attacks on government networks, it facilitated contact with Estonian IT specialists who had already fended off similar attacks. And when Viet Nam was seeking help in protecting submarine cables, it linked up European marine experts with local authorities.
Security in the 21st century through joint action
Three principles make this international partnership a success. First, speed: if necessary, the partners organise workshops or exercises at very short notice. Second, flexibility: the team adapts to the needs of the partner countries; there are no rigid strategies. And third, practical results: those involved derive lessons learned from each assignment and use them to produce concrete guidelines.
Europe wants to be seen as a competent and reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific – not as a military superpower but as a partner that offers viable solutions. The approach seems to be working. For example, according to Edora Ahmad from Malaysia’s National Cyber Security Agency, the EU is now perceived as a ‘multi-faceted security partner’. The EU is increasingly valued in the region as an actor that doesn’t just talk, but acts. The partners in Asia are strengthening their position and protecting their trade routes and critical infrastructure.
The exercise in Gurugram was more than just training. It shows how security works in the 21st century: through international cooperation and joint action. Ultimately, both sides will emerge stronger.
