Question

What are the pros and cons of a national government deciding to use private military services? If choosing to use privatized services, what are the best uses of contractors overseas and why?

Answer 1

The pros of using private military service:-

The main argument for the use of privatized security firms is that they are cheaper, more reliable, and more efficient than standard militaries. These assumptions stem from an ideology that perceives the free market as superior to the public sector in terms of service provision. The latter is often portrayed as being slow, inefficient, and corrupt. In order to provide security in a more cost-effective manner, advocates of privatization argue that it should be outsourced to the public for-profit sector.

The cons of using private military service:-

where PMSCs are operating, security is increasingly becoming a private rather than a public good. Private security may improve the safety of certain individuals, but it is damaging to any broadly conceived notion of protection for society as a whole. This is a phenomenon unfolding in so-called “failed states” such as Somalia, but also in gated communities all over the world. A major concern that has been raised is how PMSCs potentially undermine state institutions.

In situations of armed conflict, the return to public order can only be achieved if the state’s legitimacy is restored and its ability to maintain order and protect its population is well established. This seems unlikely when security provision remains in the hands of private actors. In Afghanistan, for instance, coalition forces have been paying off strongmen with private militias to preserve stability, which inherently undermines the notion of the state building project that they are purportedly advancing. While parts of Afghanistan are less volatile because of these security arrangements, there is a price for this stability. An unintended consequence of using private security firms has been the creation of parallel structures of government, blurring the lines between public and private interests and further eroding the economic and political power of the fledgling Afghan government.

Lastly, PMSCs lead to a lack of democratic accountability. Due to their very nature, private security firms undermine democratic institutions. The use of PMSCs has been integral to the US global “War on Terror.” Many of the clandestine operations that these firms execute are unpopular with the US public tired of a constant state of global war. But these firms continue to operate with little oversight and no accountability to the US public.

the uses of military contractors overseas:-

Private Military Contractors are employed in war zones and other risky areas to perform a wide variety of specialized jobs, including repair and maintenance of infrastructure and pipeline equipment. Other contractors provide armed security for truck convoys carrying supplies between military bases, serve as guards for corporate headquarters and government buildings and provide personal protection for politicians and other leading figures. Private military contractors are normally employed only in defensive roles and are only expected to engage in combat if attacked. They are not generally used for offensive military operations, so the term “mercenary” may not be strictly appropriate for what they do.

The most typical job for a Private Military Contractor is to serve as an armed guard of sorts in an environment where an attack by militants or criminals is a powerful possibility. For instance, a contractor may ride with a vehicle convoy in order to fend off any attempted ambush or kidnapping. A contractor may patrol a corporate facility at risk of a terrorist attack. Because of the fact that private military contractors work in war zones, the job is very different from a security detail or even a bodyguard job in civilian life. Most professional bodyguards outside of war zones will never be faced with an actual attack on their clients, but hundreds of private military contractors died in combat in the Iraq war.