Military Forces: Private or Contracted

The private, contracted military industry has played an increased global role in the post–Cold War world in terms of both size and scope. This presence is likely to keep expanding because of its cost-effectiveness and the proliferation of global conflicts, as well as criminal and terrorist activities and the increase in military spending they have engendered. Private, [Page 253]contracted military forces participate in international military conflicts, peacekeeping and nation-building efforts, and security activities across the globe. Critics view the growing role of private, contracted military forces as a threat to national sovereignty and global security, whereas advocates note their cost-effectiveness and their work in ending global conflicts and instability along with the transnational crimes that accompany these phenomena.