The role of private armed forces in the traditional concepts of security

Abstract

Seen from a historical point of view, security and defense have always been tasks mostly dealt with by state institutions (police, armed forces and intelligence services). The state's monopoly over the instruments of force has visibly 'weakened' in the past two decades, largely as a result of the privatization trend permeating all areas of modern society. After the end of the Cold War, private military companies have started to extensively provide professional military services, both to developing countries and industrialized countries. These services range from strategic, tactical and technological advice, training and logistical support, to providing exclusively military (combat) services to governments of various countries, multinational corporations, international organizations, non-government agencies and other non-state actors. Private military companies are certainly not a transient phenomenon or occurrence; on the contrary, they will be very important providers of private military services in the future. In this regard, the paper generally and systematically examines the role of private military companies and armed forces, in the traditional concepts of both national and international security, with special overview of their historical development.