A private military company PMC or private military and security company PMSC is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as " security contractors " or " private military contractors ".
The services and expertise offered by PMCs are typically similar to those of governmental security , military , or police but most often on a smaller scale. PMCs often provide services to train or supplement official armed forces in service of governments, but they can also be employed by private companies to provide bodyguards for key staff or protection of company premises, especially in hostile territories.
However, contractors that use armed force in a war zone may be considered unlawful combatants in reference to a concept that is outlined in the Geneva Conventions and explicitly stated by the American Military Commissions Act. Private military companies carry out many missions and jobs. Some examples have included military aviation repair in East Africa, [ 2 ] close protection for Afghan President Hamid Karzai and piloting reconnaissance airplanes and helicopters as a part of Plan Colombia.
The company's first assignment was to go to Yemen to report on the state of the royalist forces when a ceasefire was declared. At the same time, Stirling was cultivating his contacts in the Iranian government and exploring the chances of obtaining work in Africa. The company eventually operated in Zambia and in Sierra Leone , providing training teams and advising on security matters.
Stirling also organised deals to sell weapons and military personnel to other countries for various privatised foreign policy operations. Contracts were mainly with the Gulf States and involved weapons supply and training. The company was also linked with a failed attempt to overthrow Colonel Muammar Gaddafi from power in Libya in Woodhouse resigned as Director of Operations after a series of disagreements and Stirling himself ceased to take an active part in In , the United Nations Mercenary Convention banning the use of mercenaries was initiated and entered into force on 20 October The exodus of over 6 million military personnel from Western militaries in the s expanded the recruiting pool for PMCs.
