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A tripwire force (sometimes called a glass plate) is a strategic approach in deterrence theory whereby a small force is deployed abroad with the assumption that an attack on them will trigger a greater deployment of forces.^[1] The deployment of the small force is designed to signal the defending side's commitment to an armed response to future aggression without triggering a security spiral.

Scholars have debated whether tripwires are effective at deterring aggression, with some scholars arguing they are ineffective^[1]^[2] while others argue they are effective.^[3]

^ ^a ^b "The Truth About Tripwires: Why Small Force Deployments Do Not Deter Aggression". Texas National Security Review. 2021-06-02. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
^ Reiter, Dan, ed. (2025), "Tripwire Force Deployments", Untied Hands: How States Avoid the Wrong Wars, Cambridge University Press, pp. 174–199, doi:10.1017/9781009596060.007, ISBN 978-1-009-59608-4
^ Altman, Dan (2018). "Advancing without Attacking: The Strategic Game around the Use of Force". Security Studies. 27 (1): 58–88. doi:10.1080/09636412.2017.1360074. ISSN 0963-6412. S2CID 148987375. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2021-06-03.