The American theory was produced after the 2005 Isreal-Lebanon war which resulted in the Israelis finally exiting the South of Lebanon. Origin of the concept is a guy named Hoffmann, 2007 (
bit.ly/3MPtEVc). This is distinct from the Russian concept of hybrid war, it's not about information. Instead the model is a situation where irregular forces on the ground have a structural partner in conventional state forces using all levers except direct military intervention. In the Israel-Lebanon war, the irregular forces were Hezbollah and the conventional state was Iran. In the current conflict, you get it.
It's amazing how the Americans/Nato have hewn to their doctrine. In Lebanon they were afraid of it. Now they are wielding it. They have only the Ukrainians to thank for its success so far. Which might be reaching its limits.
I'm curious if people in Europe want to ratchet up? In the US, as far as I can tell, the public wants intervention. The leaders, not so much.
The Russians after a period of dispute finally settled the theoretical issue, placing net-centric or information warfare in the older category of "active measures," aka political warfare. Americans came to the same conclusion. After the infowar, you go all in.
Benson's question, When did this war begin? is profound. And the question, When's it going to end? will likely haunt us for a long time.