This is a nice little publication that gives a quick run down of positive (and some negative) uses of PMC’s over the years.  One of the conclusions made, that I really like, is the concept of applying quality control and clear objectives for these companies.  The author makes the point that if used correctly, PMC’s are certainly capable of producing excellent results (Executive Outcomes in Sierra Leone for example). If there is no clear oversight or clear objective for these companies, then that is when problems arise (like in Iraq or Afghanistan).

   To me, this conversation needs to continue to happen in this industry, of where we are and where we have come from, so we know best how to carry on into the future.  All of the companies and the clients that use us must become the ultimate learning organizations and continue to find a better way.  There is too much at stake in this war to not care about doing it right.  It is also the goal of Feral Jundi to present to the reading public that we in this industry do care, and with a lot of hard work and persistence, we can find a better way.

    The most important aspect of this conversation are the ideas that each side of the debate uses to support their views.  For to long, academia and media has hijacked these ideas with assumptions and half-truths, and the only way to stop that is to challenge those assumptions with solid facts to the contrary. To be silent and not challenge this ideas only allows these assumptions to become some kind of truth.

    And this site is not some propaganda machine (privately owned and operated by me, and not some company blog), that supports some ‘military industrial complex conspiracy’.  This site is about setting the record straight, and having a serious discussion about the use of this tool called the ‘private security contractor’ in today’s war. I have been critical of this industry and of the client here before on FJ, only with the goal of presenting ideas for fixing the problems and providing a better service for the client–not promoting the shutting down of the whole thing down.

   Identify the problems, identify the industry we want, and find the correct models and systems out there for contracting and oversight that will only help us to achieve that goal.  I think we are doing great at identifying the problems, but we still have a ways to go on figuring out what is ‘the industry we want’.  And I say ‘we’ meaning the state.  It’s not about what I want, or what the government wants, but what the state collectively wants and what they are comfortable with.  It does matter what the professor or the soccer mom or whomever thinks about this industry, and the more we can work to explain and justify what we are and what we can do for the people and the government in today’s war, the better it is for all. -Matt  

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Efficacy of Private Military Contractors in Peace Operations

By: Nicholas Pascucci 

Date: December 5, 2008

Summary: The Private Military Contracting field has experienced massive growth since the September 11th attacks. This essay explores how the contractors have been used in the past and how they can be used in peace- and nation-building operations in the future.

Introduction

In the years since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Private Military and Security industries have grown remarkably, garnering contracts in hotspots and warzones around the world in support of the interests of both nation states and private companies. Private Military Companies can be found in over 50 countries, operating in an industry that makes over one hundred billion dollars annually.1 Their increased use has sparked much controversy, and revelations regarding both the successes and failures of the industry raise questions about its role in moderating conflict worldwide. In an industry whose primary focus is providing military-related services in failed states and conflict areas, understanding the effects of their activities and presence in those areas is essential to being able to utilize them effectively in creating peace.

  I know that this is a little old, but I still thought it was important to mention.  So why is a document about clarifying the rules for private military and security companies important?  My answer is because it helps to legitimize the industry and gives us all a framework of rules to operate by in the various war zones out there.  Wether or not this document is effective in keeping the companies in line is up for debate, but it is a start.  And I think what this document is really useful for, is getting the various companies and countries and agencies talking about the subject and consolidating the rules that apply to the industry.  In essence, to make everyone happy so they can talk about the next step of utilizing the services of these companies.  So talking is good for everyone.

    There is no question that the industry would like to be more involved in Africa, and especially with the advent of AFRICOM(US Africa Command).  But Africa has some history with shady mercenary operations. The international community has had some resistance to allowing anything that resembles a mercenary force to operate in Africa because of this history, and that is what the industry is up against now.  

     I figured I would post this, because it is making the rounds out there.  I apologize for posting two Blackwater stories back to back, but this thing just popped up and deserves some attention.

      I tend to think that Blackwater will do what it can to get the job done with their other companies like Greystone and Presidential Airways, and their partnerships with all sorts of little companies out there.  I do not see them getting out of the business of anything really.  I do see them shifting company responsibilities, and that is about it.  -Head Jundi 

Blackwater plans shift from security business

MOYOCK, N.C. (AP) — Contractor Blackwater Worldwide plans a shift away from the private security business that brought it unwelcome attention following a deadly shooting in Baghdad last year.

Executives told The Associated Press Monday that the negative media coverage and intense government scrutiny has made the cost of doing business too high. They say the company has unfairly come to symbolize all Iraq contractors and thus is a flash point for those opposed to the war.

Blackwater contractors are under investigation for their involvement in a shooting in Baghdad in September that left 17 Iraqis dead.

Regardless of the outcome of that case, Blackwater executives say the company will survive with a focus on international training, aviation and construction.

AP Link Here

This was from Wired’s Danger Room blog. I read about this, when it first came out in Janes Defense Weekly last year. Cool stuff. -Head Jundi

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Blackwater Bulks Up Air Power Using Little-Known Company
By Sharon Weinberger April 07, 2008 

 Private security contractor Blackwater Worldwide has purchased a light attack counterinsurgency aircraft, and over two dozen other aircraft, under the name of a little-known aviation company.

An Embraer Super Tucano was placed on the U.S. civil aircraft registry on February 21, 2008 under the name of EP Aviation LLC. Additionally, 28 other aircraft have been registered to this obscure company, most over the past few months. The list includes 14 Bell 412 helicopters, as well as a number of fixed wing aircraft.

While Blackwater hasn’t advertised this news, neither is it keeping it a state secret (EP Aviation isn’t the sneakiest way to hide connections to Blackwater owner Erik Prince). A spokesperson for Blackwater, in fact, confirmed to Danger Room that EP Aviation is an affiliate of Blackwater.

Jane’s Defence Weekly first reported last year that Blackwater was trying to get an import license for the Super Tucano. (The Super Tucano’s recent registration was first reported as a small item in the April issue of Air Forces Monthly.) But what isn’t clear is why the company would register these aircraft under the name EP Aviation LLC. After all, Blackwater has another, better known, affiliate, Presidential Airways, which also has a number of registered aircraft.

So what is EP Aviation LLC? The company, located in McLean, VA is described as providing “nonscheduled air transportation.” The company’s phone number is the same number in McLean (and physical address) as that of the Prince Group, whose holdings include Blackwater, among a number of other related companies.

What are all these aircraft for? Well, the Super Tucano makes sense; it could be used to provide counterinsurgency aircraft training to the U.S. government. As for the other aircraft, one blog, which doesn’t note the Blackwater connection, says the aircraft are part of the FBI’s contractor fleet.

Anyhow, I’m going to rely on the plane spotters out there to use the N numbers in the FAA registry to track these aircraft.

 http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/04/blackwater-bulk.html

I wanted to post this, because this is right up my ally.  As a smokejumper, we did these kind of operations all the time for resupply.  So this concept is really not new.  Air America used to do these type of operations during the Southeast Asia conflict, and Blackwater USA Aviation is providing the same kind of services now a days in Afghanistan.  The aircraft they use are CASA 212’s, which are the same aircraft that a few of the smokejumper bases use out there.  -Head Jundi

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An innovative approach to combat logistics: low cost, low altitude airborne resupply in Afghanistan

Michael Peterman
History has shown that without combat service support and sustainment operations, the warfighting capability of any unit is certainly diminished, and potentially leads to interruption of combat operations. Hence, the ability to develop innovative, adaptive combat service support sustainment processes remains a strong principle within contingency operations.

The 782nd Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) has brought such innovation to the modern battlefield of Afghanistan. Due to the expertise and initiative of the Soldiers of the 782nd BSB, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, the Army has a new aerial resupply capability in the form of the Thestral “Speedball” Low Cost, Low Altitude (LCLA) Aerial Delivery System.

The LCLA program is a new and innovative means of aerial delivery currently being employed throughout portions of Afghanistan. The program differs from the Air Force high velocity container delivery system (CDS) drops in that bundles are smaller in size and delivered at a very low altitude from a smaller civilianstyle aircraft with almost pinpoint accuracy–usually within 20 meters of the established point of impact (PI).