Deterrence theory, in which a weaker state deters attack by bolstering its defensive capabilities enough to render attacking infeasible Conspicuous weapons development (including nuclear development) Pre-emptive strikes Blackmail The massing of military units on a border, whether for stationing or for exercises The imposition of tariffs or economic sanctions (possibly to initiate a trade war) Proxy warfare Bait and bleed and "bloodletting" tactics Hard and soft balancing Buck-passing, in which a state attempts to coerce another state to confront a threat, in order to preserve its own capabilities and possibly intervene later The use of espionage to subvert another state's capabilities from within Covert and clandestine military operations, in which states obscure their role in an operation or conduct the operation in secret, respectively Shock and awe, in which a state uses a real (or played-up) show of force to deter potential attack Asymmetric warfare, in which a state uses unconventional warfare methods in order to exploit another's weaknesses