History does not remember how much blood was shed or who died in the war; it remembers who won the war and who lost. Does this logic still hold in modern-day warfare? The question raises intrigue when we see private military companies today, who support one side or the other in the war.

History has some traces of paid fighters, but in modern days, the dynamics are a game-changer. Therefore, modern history will also acknowledge the role of private military companies and their contributions to the outcomes of wars.

The existence of Private Military Companies in the arena of warfare and security is an undeniable truth now, despite controversies. As part of their business, they serve governments, intelligence agencies, and private industries with their military and security services.

Filling the gaps that national troops cannot address is profound, but upholding legalities, protection of human rights and responsible use of the unshackled operational liberty, must be the essence of using Private Military Contractors.

Let’s dive in and understand.

Are Private Military Companies a necessity?

In the complicated geo-political grid, sometimes, governments find themselves on a thin line to take direct actions and yet an unavoidable need to achieve an objective. In the game of complex diplomacy, amid a sensitive equation, Governments conveniently use private military companies to maintain political sanctity, by ruling out deployment of national armed forces,

The 2 other major reasons are, of course, the time & cost, same as in any other decision to achieve a particular mission. Private Military Companies can mobilize rapidly even to the most sensitive locations, in the absence of political compulsions, saving a lot of time in achieving the mission for their buyers. The whole mission gets achieved at a reduced cost, when compared to deployment of national troops with specialized arrangements.

In the intricate world of intelligence and tradecraft, services from private military companies are a blessing. During international peacekeeping missions, a buyer country or intelligence agency utilizes specialized services from private military companies for extremely important aspects, such as logistics, security, and training to get acquainted with a sensitive conflict zone.

The private military contractors also bring to the table, their specialized services, like cybersecurity, aerial information & local intelligence gathering. In an unfriendly country or challenging geographic location, it becomes extremely necessary for a country or their intelligence wing to procure the services from the private military companies.

Additionally, it is a supplement to the official army of a country, who are not deployed directly to keep their hands clean from achieving dark & controversial missions, which are time sensitive, cost sensitive & politically sensitive.

What is the Risk in deploying Private Military Companies?

Private military companies are profit driven business. There are always risks of prioritization of financial profits over the scale of mission achievement. In most of the cases, these private military contractors operate in unclear legal obligations, which leads to accountability issues. There have been instances of human right violations in several conflict zones.

The threat of larger escalation is also present. If the rival nation miscalculates the specifics of the low-key, yet critical mission being carried out by their opponent, they may respond with the full force of their national troops, pushing the conflict zone into a larger scale of escalation, which was never intended.

Name of 4 Major Private Military Companies in the World

Academi (formerly Blackwater)- USA

It is one of the largest private military companies in the world, providing services such as security, intelligence, and combat operations. According to reports, Blackwater has undertaken critical missions like protecting U.S. diplomats and state staff on foreign soil, especially in Iraq. Blackwater is also responsible for shielding and protecting the soldiers who killed the infamous terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

DynCorp International- USA

It is one more USA based private military company which has expertise in aerial imagery, aircraft maintenance and intelligence gathering. It provided life support & medical logistics services to U.S. forces, U.S. diplomats. DynCorp was also contracted to train Iraq National Police. DynCorp has been a controversial name, when it comes to abusing prisoners of war in Iraq, during interrogation. They were never prosecuted.

G4S

It is an UK-based company that provides a bunch of security services, including guarding, cash-in-transit, and risk management. It is one of the largest security companies in the world.

Wagner Group

It is a Russian company that is believed to be controlled & contracted by the Russian government. It has been involved in several conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, and Libya. Wagner group had serious controversy in their Ukraine operation, so far as human rights is concerned. As per reports published in DW, in the Ukraine war, Wagner group personnels have been accused of severing heads of Ukrainian Soldiers and Civilians and paraded the severed heads, making a mockery of Geneva convention. They operated together with Russian army.

Triple Canopy

It is a US-based company that provides security services to governments and businesses in hostile environments. It has been involved in several high-profile contracts, including the protection of US diplomats in Iraq.

What are the existing rules to be complied with?

• Montreux Document- The Montreux Document provides a blueprint for governments to effectively regulate Private Military Companies. It highlights the responsibilities of three principal types of states: Contracting states (countries that hire PMC), Territorial states (countries on whose territory PMC Operate), and home states (countries in which PMC are headquartered or based).This document reaffirms the existing obligations of States under international law, in particular international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law, relating to the activities of private military and security companies (PMC).
• United Nations Mercenary Convention- The United Nations Mercenary Convention, also known as the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, is a treaty that prohibits the use of mercenaries in armed conflicts. The convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989 and entered into force in 2001
• International Humanitarian Law (IHL)- Private Military Companies operating in conflict zones must adhere to International Humanitarian Law, which includes the Geneva Conventions. These laws govern the conduct of armed conflict and aim to protect those who are not participating in hostilities, such as civilians and prisoners of war

The concept of Private Military Companies operating on foreign soil to enable their clients to achieve missions entails essential services and unshackled capabilities. However, it is a double-edged knife. The most important requirement that must be implemented is international legal regulations and oversight mechanisms.

Instead of having unfettered power to abuse prisoners or kill mercilessly, private military companies should be made to contribute positively to global security by operating within international regulations.