Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1258433
The PMC sector is not easily capital-saturated. The threshold to enter the market is relatively low, and maintaining the activities does not require significant spending. Making use of well-trained (state-trained) personnel, with light structures and limited fixed costs, with a flexible attitude towards contracts, organizations as such are also highly effective. ÄProxy Military Company – an organization that is quite similar to a Private Military Compa- ny. However, it is very closely tied to the domestic government and the armed forces, being embedded in the defense policy it acts as a tool to make the foreign policy tangible, also making use of the clo- se relationship with the state organs. Rarely do businesses as such undertake actions that require armed employees. They usually provide training and supply chain support, at a cost that is lower than in case of similar activities involving the regular armed forces. These act in a consulting role not getting directly involved in the combat activities. These entities constitute an easy-to-employ form for the government, to get involved in foreign deployments, without a need to get their armed forces engaged. Entities as such are present in the US (MPRI), the UK (Saladin Security), and Russia (the so-called Wa- gner's Group). ÄPrivate Security Companies – they are, generally, similar to PMCs. However, their acti- vities are focused on different facets of security, and the operations they undertake remain below the threshold of war. They also get involved in crime prevention and maintain public safety. The range of activities starts with combating fraud, through risk analysis, evaluation of business activities in dange- rous areas, and finishes in the domain of establishing security systems for government and commercial facilities. PSC companies tend to overlap with the scope of activities undertaken by PMCs. However, even then they focus on activities requiring reac- tions different than ones involving the typical use of force. These entities are rather concentrating on more advanced issues, such as information mana- gement, recovery processes, or UAV/counter-UAV operations.The organizations that are more „milita- rized" tend to train and support the establishment of local police and military structures. Some cases are known, when we could have witnessed active involvement in the field (against FARC in Columbia for instance) when a necessity emerged. However, in this sector, cases as such are a rarity. PSCs are also, which has been a novelty, involved in humanitarian aid operations that so far have been a domain saturated by NGOs. As the international agents participating or acting as the intermedia- ries, with the aid being received by the unintended recipients, the businesses that can consequently accomplish the objective seem to be a prospective solution. Armor Group was the first entity to get involved in the operation as such in Southern Ko- sovo, following an assignment from the UK govern- ment. The business in question has also been listed as an entity that is capable of providing support or becoming the actual asset in the crisis response cir- cumstances. ÄCommercial Security Companies – co- nventional security/bodyguard companies, quite common on the Polish market, dealing with the provision of physical security of facilities and persons, daily. Some of those entities are involved in activities on a transnational basis, they also remain present in the conflict zones (G4S for instance). Ad- opting a classic definition, those en- tities employ high numbers of per- sonnel, mostly non-uniformed and unarmed personnel. Back in the 1990s the job offers po- sted by busines- ses as such were addressed to former military personnel. Nowa- days, this is a rare case. www.fragoutmag.com