NATO's Hybrid Defence Framework and the Sovereignty of Small States: The case of Iceland.

This thesis examines how NATO´s hybrid defence framework enables small states to safeguard sovereignty through resilience and alliance cooperation. Using Iceland as a case study, it explores how a founding NATO member without standing armed forces operationalises Articles 3 and 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty through civilian institutions, crisis management structures, and protection of critical infrastructure. The study employs qualitative thematic analysis of policy documents, interviews, and NATO strategic texts, guided by Braun and Clarke´s (2006) reflexive analytical approach. Findings show that Iceland´s security model has shifted from a Cold War dependence on U.S. defence to a resilient-centred system integrated into NATO´s hybrid defence architecture. National frameworks—including the National Security Policy, Cyber Security Policy, and the Civil Protection and Security Strategy—domesticate NATO principles by prioritising cyber resilience, information integrity, and whole-of-society preparedness. Iceland contributes to NATO through functional specialisation, notably its strategic position in the GIUK Gap, radar and surveillance capabilities, and civilian crisis coordination. The case demonstrates that institutional adaptability and resilience can compensate for the absence of conventional military power. The thesis develops three complementary conceptual tools to explain how sovereignty can be reinforced through cooperative resilience: the Escalation Model of Hybrid Conflict (EMHC), the Multi-Level Hybrid Sovereignty Framework (MLHSF), and the concept of Resilient Interdependence. Together, they illustrate how small states can exercise strategic agency in the hybrid era, where resilience itself functions as a form of power within collective defence. Keywords: Iceland, NATO, hybrid defence, resilience, sovereignty, small states, resilient interdependence, Multi-Level Hybrid Sovereignty Framework (MLHSF), Escalation Model of Hybrid Conflict (EMHC), Arctic.

Author dc:creator

• Halldóra S. Brandsdóttir 1970-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Háskólinn á Bifröst

• Ísland
• Varnarmál
• Fullveldi
• Norðurslóðir
• Atlantshafsbandalagið

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1946/52101

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/52101