Pvc black water. Rating of a Blackwater employee on the combat effectiveness of the military of different countries. Blackwater Worldwide established

), founded in 1997 by Eric Prince and Al Clark.

The company has a large number of divisions and subsidiaries. Academi is currently the largest private military company. It is headquartered in North Carolina, Carrituck County, within the Moyoke Community.

The main profit comes from participation in military conflicts, about 90% of the proceeds are government orders.

History

Logo Blackwater usa top and logo Blackwater Worldwide from below.

Firm Blackwater usa was founded in 1997 by former US Naval Special Forces (SEALs) officer Eric Prince, 27, and applied shooting trainer Al Clark, as a security company that will support and prepare military and law enforcement operations.

Eric Prince graduated from Hillsdale College and worked as an intern at the White House of George W. Bush (Sr.), then graduated from the Naval Academy and served in the Naval Special Forces.

He inherited the money for the purchase of the first training center and the creation of the company, bequeathed by his father. Then he bought a plot of 24 km² on the border of the states of North Carolina and Virginia. In this area, the water in the lake was black due to the large amount of peat, and this is how the company got its name. Blackwater, which means "Black water" in translation.

Over time, the security firm turned into a real private military company, and Prince himself became one of the main sponsors of the Republican Party.

The private army Blackwater suffered its first losses in March 2004, when four of its employees were killed. At the time of the withdrawal of Blackwater forces from Iraq, there were 987 mercenaries in the country, 744 of whom were citizens of the United States. The company participated in the Iraqi War until September 2009. Blackwater has the right not to disclose personnel losses, but reported the deaths of 27 of its employees by October 2007.

Focusing on the professionalism of the company's employees, its representative said that none of the company's clients were seriously hurt:

In October 2007 Blackwater usa changed the company name to Blackwater Worldwide and unveiled a new logo. The company said the changes were not related to the shooting of a demonstration in Baghdad, and decisions to change the name and rebrand were made much earlier.

In 2009, the founder of the company, Eric Prince, resigned as CEO, and in February Blackwater Worldwide officially changed its name to Xe and also uses the brand U.S. Training Center [ ] .

Management

From the day the company was founded, the main management roles were performed by Eric Prince himself until March 2, 2009. The founder of the company now serves as chairman of the board, but no longer participates in the day-to-day operations of the company.

Many key positions in the company were held by former high-ranking officials. For example, Kofer Black, who served as vice chairman of the company from 2005 to 2008, from 2002 to 2004 was the coordinator of the United States Department of State for counterterrorism, and from 2006 to 2008 was the director of the CIA Counter-Terrorism Center.

The current CEO is Joseph Yorio. Daniel Esposito is the new Chief Operating Officer.

The structure of the company

Xe Services- the managing organization, mainly engaged in administrative functions. The main activity is distributed among the divisions of the company. Considering the structure of this organization, it should be borne in mind that there are a number of companies that are not part of the group, but belong to Eric Prince. For example, a company EP Aviation LLC, named after the initials of the owner, owns tactical and training air assets. And the company Total Intelligence Solutions, based in Arlington, is involved in risk management and a variety of advisory services.

Blackwater Maritime Solutions

The Blackwater Maritime Solutions division provides training for the Navy. In 2004, the company trained the Greek security forces to provide security for the 2004 Olympics. She also trained the Azerbaijani and Afghan armed forces.

The company can simulate naval battles on artificially created lakes. Blackwater Maritime Solutions was awarded a contract to train US Navy sailors following an attack on the USS Cole. The firm owns the ship "MacArthur" with a displacement of 995 tons.

Company Blackwater Security Consulting(BSC) was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Moyoke, North Carolina. BSC is one of the private security firms that operated during the Iraq War. It was this company that provided protection to officials and facilities, trained the army and police, and was also involved in supporting the coalition armed forces.

The company has an agreement with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and has provided security services for diplomats in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Israel. The company is engaged in the protection of the US embassies in Iraq. The company offers its services in disaster relief and emergency relief to the victims. BSC officials met with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to discuss earthquake cooperation opportunities.

Greystone Limited

Private security service Greystone registered in Barbados. The company recruits citizens from various countries through its branch Satelles Solutions, Inc... Their website states that they can provide "the best military from around the world" who can carry out their activities anywhere. The company's missions can range from small to "large-scale operations requiring a large number of people to secure the region."

V Greystone planned to open a training center like US Naval Base Subic Bay, but later the company abandoned these plans.

Aviation Worldwide Services

Aviation Worldwide Services has three subsidiaries: STI Aviation, Air quest and Presidential Airways... The company was acquired by Blackwater in April 2003. It is headquartered in Melbourne, Florida.

Other divisions of the company

Participation in the Iraqi War

Paul Bremer with Blackwater staff escort.

Blackwater plays a significant role in the Iraq War as a contractor to the United States government. In 2003, the first contract was signed to provide security for the head of the Interim Coalition Administration, Paul Bremer, in the amount of $ 21 million. According to Eric Prince, 30 employees of the company have been killed since 2003. The total losses of Blackwater in Iraq amounted to about 780 people, these people are not included in the official statistics [ whose?] military losses.

While working in Iraq, the company Blackwater was repeatedly suspected of arms smuggling. Employees Xe worked legally in Iraq until at least September 2009.

Ambush in Fallujah

March 31, 2004 while escorting a food delivery company ESS four company employees were killed by Iraqi insurgents. The bodies of the officers were pulled out of the cars and beaten, then burned. The corpses were tied to cars, dragged through the streets, and eventually hanged on a bridge over the Euphrates. This incident led to the storming of the city of Fallujah by the US armed forces, as well as litigation with the relatives of the victims.

April 2005

According to the results of all investigations, it turned out that the company's employees from 2005 to 2007 participated in 195 shootings and in 84% of cases they opened fire first.

Other activities of the company

In a press release, Xe states that the company provides air travel, security services, troop logistics, transportation services, and humanitarian support. The company was reported to be helping to establish law and order in disaster areas. The company derives its main profits from participation in military conflicts and about 90% of the company's revenue comes from government contracts. The company got its main development during the Iraqi war.

Company Blackwater was hired to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. About 200 employees were sent to the regions affected by Hurricane Katrina. 164 of them ensured the protection of state facilities. The company received $ 240,000 a day for its services.

Xe is one of five companies selected by the US Department of Defense with which it has signed a five-year contract for the supply of equipment and services for the fight against drugs. The contract is valued at $ 15 billion. Xe has contracts with various foreign governments, mainly for the provision of services to combat drug trafficking. 16 employees of the company are in Afghanistan to support and train the US military. He is training Afghan security forces in drug control.

Also clients are individuals, oil producing companies, insurance companies. In 2005, Blackwater trained Azerbaijani naval special forces. The company has a contract with the Japanese authorities for the protection of AN / TPY-2 radar systems.

Criticism

Xe Services, as the successor to Blackwater, has a rather negative reputation for the killings of civilians in Iraq and the smuggling of weapons. Family members of those killed are filing lawsuits in the courts for indiscriminate shooting and murder of civilians by representatives of the Blackwater company.

Xe Watch

Xe Watch is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization headquartered in North Carolina. The organization has been monitoring the activities of Blackwater since 2007. He also oversees the activities of other private military companies and mercenaries in terms of human rights, lobbying, speculation on issues of war and conflict. In September 2007, the organization's first demonstration was staged outside the Blackwater headquarters in Moyoke, North Carolina.

Author of the book “Blackwater. The most powerful mercenary army in the world "(eng. Blackwater: The Rise of the World "s Most Powerful Mercenary Army) Jeremy Scahill en is one of the members of Xe Watch. Also, representatives of this organization wrote articles about He in The seattle times , Chicago Tribune and The guardian .

Weapon smuggling

Blackwater was repeatedly suspected of arms smuggling. A loud scandal that occurred with a security company on March 9, 2010 was the investigation into the loss of more than 500 Kalashnikov assault rifles and other weapons from American warehouses in Afghanistan. Presumably the employee responsible for the missing weapon Blackwater signed invoices for their withdrawal from the warehouse with the name of the cartoon character South park Eric Cartman

In culture

In feature films:

In documentaries:

• Shadow company- a film about mercenary business and private military companies, with particular attention to their role in recent armed conflicts. The film was released on DVD in August 2006.
• Blackline: The Beirut Contract is a low-budget film about private military companies such as Blackwater.

In games:

In books:

see also

Notes (edit)

1. (English) (PDF). United States House of Representatives (12 March 2004). Retrieved December 30, 2007. Archived December 27, 2007.
2. Former Blackwater firm renamed again.12 December 2011. Date of treatment December 12, 2011.
3. Gielink, Dirk; Maarten Buitenhuis, René Moelker. No Contractors on the Battlefield: The Dutch Military "s Reluctance to Outsource// Private Military and Security Companies: Chances, Problems, Pitfalls and Prospects (English) / Thomas Jäger, Gerhard Kümmel. - VS Verlag, 2007. - P. 149. - ISBN 3531149016.
4. Flintoff, Corey. , National Public Radio(September 25, 2009). Date of treatment February 28, 2009.
5. Back in Iraq: The "Whores of War" (unspecified) ... Sunday Herald, Scotland (September 29, 2007). Retrieved December 27, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
6. Jeremy Scahill. Will Blackwater Be Kicked Out of Iraq After Recent Bloodbath? (unspecified) ... The Nation.28 September 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
7. David Swanson. Observing Our Government Through Blackwater (unspecified) ... Scoop New Zealand.28 October 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
8. Ian Bruce, The Herald, London, "Blackwater uses armed force" twice as often as other Iraq firms ", Archived February 27, 2009.
9. Tehran Times, "Blackwater admits employees illegally sold weapons"
10. Agreement for security services (unspecified) (PDF). United States House of Representatives.12 March 2004. Retrieved December 30, 2007. Archived December 27, 2007.
11. Lee, Matthew... Feds Target Blackwater in Weapons Probe (eng.), Associated Press, The Washington Post (22 September 2007). Date of treatment January 2, 2008.
12. Elsea, Jennifer; Nina Serafino. CRS report for congress, Private security contractors in Iraq: Background, legal status and other issues (unspecified) (PDF). Date of treatment January 2, 2008. Archived January 29, 2012.
13. Sizemore, Bill... US: Private Security Company Creates Stir in New Orleans, The Virginian-Pilot (15 September 2005). Date of treatment January 2, 2008.
14. Flintoff, Corey... Blackwater "s Prince Has GOP, Christian Group Ties, National Public Radio (September 25, 2007). Retrieved January 2, 2008.
15. Thomas, Evan; Hosenball, Mark. The Man Behind Blackwater // Newsweek: magazine. - 2007 .-- 22 October. - P. 36-38.
16. Squitieri, Tom. Role of security companies likely to become more visible(English). USA Today (1 April 2004). Retrieved December 26, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
17. Blackwater by Numbers: A Statistical Index
18. Profile: Blackwater Worldwide, BBC (20 August 2009). Retrieved December 15, 2010.
19. Von Zielbauer, Paul... Blackwater Softens Its Logo From Macho to Corporate, The New York Times (22 October 2007). Retrieved December 30, 2007.
20. Four Civilians Worked for N.C. Security Firm (eng.), Associated Press, Fox News (31 March 2004). Date of treatment January 2, 2010.
21. Silverstein, Ken... Revolving Door to Blackwater Causes Alarm at CIA, Harper's Magazine (22 September 2007).
22. About Total Intelligence Solutions (unspecified) ... Retrieved October 24, 2007. Archived October 18, 2007.
23. Kravitz, Derek. Blackwater founder steps aside(English). Associated Press (March 3, 2009). Retrieved December 26, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
24. Sharon Weinberger. Blackwater Bulks Up Air Power Using Little-Known Company(English) (7 April 2008). Retrieved December 26, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
25. Blackwater training center (unspecified) Archived September 27, 2007.
26. Scahill, Jeremy. Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, Media mouse April 13, 2007.2009-08-20.
27. Sharon Weinberger. Blackwater Hits the High Seas (unspecified) (October 9, 2007). Retrieved December 26, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
28. Jennifer K. Elsea, Moshe Schwartz, Kennon H. Nakamura. Private Security Contractors in Iraq: Background, Legal Status, and Other Issues (unspecified) . Congressional Research Service(August 25, 2008). Retrieved December 26, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
29. Joanne Kimberlin, Bill Sizemore. Blackwater: New Horizons (unspecified) . PilotOnline.com(July 28, 2006). Retrieved December 26, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
30. Death Merchants: Letter Reveals Details of the Assassination Program(Russian) (unspecified)(August 24, 2009). Retrieved December 22, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
31. Protecting services(English) (unavailable link)(2006). Retrieved December 22, 2010. Archived September 27, 2009.
32. Blackwater USA drops plans to build center in Philippines(English). The virginian-pilot ... NewsLibrary.com (13 April 2007). Date of treatment July 2, 2015.
33. Blackwater USA Completes Acquisition of Aviation Worldwide Services(English). PRWEB (3 May 2003). Retrieved December 22, 2010. Archived January 29, 2012.
34. Hemingway, Mark... Warriors for Hire, The Weekly Standard. 18 December 2006. Date of treatment September 28, 2007.
35. Blackwater aviation (unspecified) ... Blackwater USA. Retrieved September 28, 2007. Archived October 28, 2006.
36. Blackwater Aviation News(English). Date of treatment December 22, 2010.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking about the situation in Ukraine, emphasized that at the moment the Army of Ukraine is like a "foreign legion"

We will try to figure out what these NATO well-wishers, whom the Ukrainian government invited for "training and consultations" in April 2014, are.

Blackwater (Black Water) since 2009 renamed "Xe" (read as "Zee") - a private security American film, in fact, is a small but powerful army - 2.5 thousand mercenaries of the highest class and about 30 thousand people in reserve. 90% of the company's income comes from orders from the US government and NATO countries. More than 20,000 private security guards worked in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2012. Barack Obama's victory was secured by his anti-war rhetoric, but in the first 9 months of his rule, the number of private contractors for the US Department of Defense grew by 236 percent.

The firm, founded by retired military and intelligence officials, provided security services and stood out until it attacked a gold mine - contracts with the US government that it owes its close ties to those now at the Pentagon. The George W. Bush administration used the firm's services from the beginning of the campaign in Iraq and paid generously for them: in 2001, Blackwater received $ 736 thousand from the federal budget, then in 2005 the amount exceeded $ 25 million. In 2006, contracts were estimated at almost $ 600 million. more than a billion dollars from the campaign in Iraq.

Issue price:

Each day of the work of one mercenary from Black Water costs the American budget an average of $ 1222. At the same time, a serviceman of the American army performing a similar job (with the rank of sergeant) receives $ 140-190 per day (depending on the length of service, etc.) Thus, one militant from Black Water costs the American budget 6-9 times more. It is difficult to determine the number of private security mercenaries in Iraq. Not all people employed by Black Water are on the staff of the firm. On the official Blackwater website, in the vacancy section, it is emphasized that if you work for the company, you will not be officially hired and you will be an independent contractor. Estimates of the number of mercenaries in Iraq range from 25,000 to over 100,000 (which is practically equal to the number of the coalition's military personnel). There are about 60 large and small security firms (not only American) operating in Iraq, essentially private armies.

If we talk about the legal status of mercenaries, formally obeying the norms of international law and the laws of the United States, in fact, mercenaries are accountable only for the fulfillment of the main goals, but not for the methods. The crimes they have committed do not fall into the category of the military. None of the mercenaries will sort out which Slavs are "quilted jacket" or "dill". Ukraine is only a stage in the US movement towards Russia, its reserves, and in the event of an escalation of the conflict, the ATO troops will become cannon fodder in skillful hands stretching all the way to Washington.

Since 2006, the Black Water crimes in Iraq have been investigated, a new round of which was given by the materials of the Wikileaks website. Among 390 thousand documents, in particular, there were materials testifying to 14 previously unknown episodes when Black Water mercenaries opened fire on civilians. In most cases, the mercenaries guarding foreign diplomats in Iraq opened fire on vehicles that drove too close to their clients' vehicles. In total, as a result of the actions of the mercenaries, 10 civilians were killed and seven were injured. Among the dead was an ambulance driver who arrived at the scene of the attack in Baghdad.

The direct participation of NATO mercenaries in the punitive operation is evidenced so far only by radio interception data, however, as the Ukrainian army becomes more and more incapacitated as a result of the economic and political collapse of Ukraine, NATO's influence will grow and the wars of the DPR and LPR need to be ready to face the actions of mercenaries "Who do not shy away from torture, or murder, or robbery, or torture."

However, closer to the topic)) Below we will talk about the American corporation Blackwater, which is a kind of leader of this '' industry '', those who really shed blood, working out the American state tender for the release of intestines of various unwashed during the military conflicts unleashed (or indirectly supported) by America and everyday hotspots. These are the professionals who live with it, and the bloody inclinations of these troops ( They have a reputation for being people who shoot first and then doubt. They have created difficult situations more than once: after one of the Blackwater operations, 17 corpses of civilians were left on the street.) in stark contrast to the often shaggy-looking guys from the official state army who bleat on TV. Large losses of the army in the war create strong social tensions in the homeland and kindle prostitution, social fatigue from war and funeral spectacles arises, and force pressure on the recalcitrant states must be constantly applied in different parts of the planet. Therefore, in the modern world, private mercenaries are fighting everywhere in blood baths, no one will ask for them and will not go to a rally with posters. They are behind the scenes and for completely different grandmothers there, in a number of conflicts it is they who do all the work, while the official American soldiers heroically indicate their presence in the same area, without sticking their noses out of their base, which has already been noted by many.

Blackwater (English Blackwater - "Black Water") - since February 2009 renamed "Xe" (read as "Zee") - a private American security company (in fact - a small but powerful "private army" - in its ranks about 2.3 thousand professional mercenaries on active duty and about 25 thousand soldiers in reserve.This organization has provided and continues to provide the most active support to the American troops in Iraq.).

The company was founded in 1996 (according to other sources - in 1997) by a former officer of the US naval special forces, 27-year-old Erik Prince. It is headquartered in North Carolina. Over time, the security firm turned into a real private army, and Prince himself became one of the main sponsors of the Republican Party.

This company is armed with the entire arsenal of military small arms, armored personnel carriers and transport helicopters. She has training bases in the United States and several other countries.

In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, Blackwater appeared in Iraq. Since 2003, its employees have guarded the head of the civil administration in Iraq, Paul Bremer. The number of Blackwater soldiers who participated in the active phase of the war in Iraq is more than 10 thousand people. In the Iraqi campaign, according to various estimates, from 25 to 40 thousand soldiers of private companies participated, most of them from Blackwater.

According to media reports, the loss of Blackwater soldiers in Iraq amounted to about 780 people, but these people are not counted in the official statistics of military losses. Which certainly plays into the hands of the Bush administration. In addition, the crimes committed by Blackwater soldiers in Iraq do not fall under the military category. Armed Blackwater soldiers were seen patrolling the streets of New Orleans during the flooding.

Blackwater's private army suffered its first casualties in March 2004, when several of its employees were killed.

The company became infamous for the September 2007 Iraqi massacre. On September 16, 2007, Blackwater officers guarding a US State Department diplomatic convoy fired gunfire in the central square of Baghdad, which ended in the deaths of seventeen Iraqi civilians. According to the results of investigations, it turned out that employees of the Prince's company have taken part in almost two hundred shootings since 2005 to that time. The company was also suspected of smuggling weapons into Iraq.

Many associate the harsh behavior of American guards in Iraq with the April 2003 events. Then in the city of Fallujah, four Blackwater employees were killed. The rebels hung the mutilated bodies of the guards on the bridge. The contractors then tightened their own security measures and began to shoot first. And even foreign diplomats have become tougher. On October 1, employees of the international security company Global, commanded by the American, tried to search the cars of the Russian embassy in Iraq and even threatened with weapons. There was almost a response to this. After all, our diplomats took into account the fact that employees of private security firms in Iraq sometimes start shooting first. According to our diplomats, it was possible to avoid "serious consequences" thanks to the "composure" of the Russians. The Russian Foreign Ministry regarded the actions of the guards "as a gross violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

In the early days of the Iraqi campaign, Blackwater employees were rarely featured in press coverage. They were first seen on television news when footage of Iraqis dragging the burnt, disfigured corpses of four contractors through the streets of Fallujah all over the world. The company's actions in Iraq have seriously damaged its reputation. In 2009, founder Eric Prince stepped down as CEO and in February Blackwater Worldwide officially changed its name to "Xe" and also uses the brand name "US Training Center".

Founded in 1997 by retired US military personnel, Blackwater provided security services and stood out until it struck a goldmine of federal contracts. With the start of the American campaign in Iraq, the George W. Bush administration unexpectedly began to resort to the services of the firm and paid them generously. If in 2001 Blackwater received $ 736 thousand from the federal budget, then in 2005 the amount exceeded $ 25 million. In 2006 the contracts were estimated at almost $ 600 million. In general, Blackwater has already received more than a billion dollars for its work in Iraq. Currently, revenues from Iraq account for about 95% of the firm's revenues.

Each day of the work of one Blackwater mercenary costs the American budget an average of $ 1,222. At the same time, a serviceman of the American army performing a similar job (with the rank of sergeant) receives $ 140-190 per day (depending on the length of service, etc.) Thus, one fighter from Blackwater costs the American budget 6-9 times more.

It is difficult to determine the number of private security mercenaries in Iraq. Not all people employed by Blackwater are employed by the firm. On the official Blackwater website, in the vacancy section, it is emphasized that if you work for the company, you will not be officially hired and you will be an independent contractor. Estimates of the number of mercenaries in Iraq range from 25,000 to over 100,000 (which is practically equal to the number of the coalition's military personnel). There are about 60 large and small security firms (not only American) operating in Iraq, essentially private armies. It is worth noting that the White House uses mercenaries in a similar way in Afghanistan.

Interestingly, in 2001, the amount of Blackwater's annual contracts did not reach even a million dollars, and by 2007 it exceeded a billion dollars.

Now this structure is raising unrealistic loot in connection with the threat of Somali pirates (they could be eliminated one day, as I suspect Somali pirates - they will muddy the lobby of military corporations). The president of the corporation is Eric Prince. This American with a square chin and short hair served in an elite division of the US Navy. He was in Bosnia, Haiti, the Middle East. Prince believes that it will be easy for him to distinguish good from evil on the new battlefield - on the high seas.

"When I see a few guys in a six-meter fishing boat in the center of the Gulf of Aden and even with grenade launchers in their hands, I understand that they did not go out to sea to fish," said Prince.

The task of his men is to escort cargo ships. He recruits the fighters for this new assignment from former soldiers of the elite units of the Navy. They are supposed to first warn the attacking pirates by shouting. Then, to intimidate, shoot several times in the air. And only after that, the performers will take up the work, for example, snipers on two helicopters, which are on board the McArthur warship.

Dozens of new customers are now calling them, mainly shipowners and insurance companies. Everyone wants one thing: that Blackwater mercenaries escort their cargo ships and tankers safe and sound along the coast of Somalia, the most dangerous waters in the world, the poaching grounds of gangs, with Kalashnikov rifles and grenade launchers attacking everything in sight. Shod in slippers, in plastic boats, they look like a small crook that a Coast Guard boat can handle. In fact, they create huge problems for the navies of the great powers and, naturally, the governments in Berlin, Paris and Washington.

Somali pirates have attacked more than 90 ships this year, three times more than last year. They managed to capture and hijack 39 cargo ships, tankers, fishing boats. And now at least 14 ships under strict guard are anchored off the coast, opposite the pirate villages. Their crews have been waiting for several months for the pirates to receive the ransom and set them free. According to UN estimates, the shipowners have already paid them almost 25 million euros.

The Blackwater Warriors aren't the only ones on the market for new services. UK-based Drum reports that the number of escort requests has increased tenfold over the past year. Drum chief Peter Hopkins provides crews of 4 to 8 people who board ships in Port Said to land again in Oman or Mombasa. The cost of the four guards is approximately € 6,500 per day, plus travel expenses. They are armed, but first try to defend ships with sonic cannons and barbed wire.

Blackwater's American rival John Harris prefers a harsher tone. He makes sure that the fighters of his company Hollow Point do not leave the pirates any chance. In addition, they are able to free the already hijacked ships: "One way or another, we will bring your crew and ship back," he assures. "Either we will agree or send our squadron."

After that, few questions arise who benefits from Somali pirates and hysteria around them. At least - to military corporations, which receive superprofits from the protection of a serious trade route. And the dumbest thing is that this is just one of many muddies, which are then covered by the mass media working in the interests of corporations.

Follow the news. There are many interesting things if you dig))

Name of an American private military company Blackwater has already become almost a household name. It is the first that comes to mind of a politician, expert, human rights activist or journalist, if you need to choose a synonym for the euphemism "private army", while in the most negative context. And even the fact that the company changed its name twice and is now called Academi, it did not help her, she remained for all Blackwater. Her scandalous fame is too great. The founder of the company, Eric Prince, tried to make a new Executive Outcomes out of it, copying the aggressive style of a South African PMC. Politically, this attempt was doomed to failure, the company was not allowed to turn into an independent military force, which was the SW, but financially, the success of Academi-Blackwater is obvious.

BIRTHBLACKWATER

Eric Prince was born in 1969 in Holland, Michigan, the son of a former pilot, millionaire Edgar Prince, who owned an auto parts corporation. His father, like most of Holland's inhabitants, was a Calvinist - an ardent supporter of the Dutch Reformed Church and a conservative. Who adored his father, Eric decided to become a pilot of the naval aviation, but left the second year of the Naval Academy, as he could not at all follow the rules and obey. He studied economics, but still returned to the army and, after receiving the rank of lieutenant, became a Navy SEAL in Team 8, where he met most of his future Blackwater partners.

But in 1995, the head of the Prince family died, and the family sold their father's corporation for $ 1.35 billion. Eric Prince converted to Catholicism, and for part of his share of the inheritance, on the advice of his shooting instructor in the squad of "seals", decided in May 1998 to open a Blackwater shooting training center in Mooke, North Carolina, near the largest military naval base in Norfolk. The navy did not have its own shooting ranges and rented them from the army. Prince invested $ 6.5 million in this project. Seals and FBI officers began training here, and in 2000 the company won a government contract to conduct training courses on personal security, close combat, ship protection, and hostage rescue.

Within a few years, the Moyoka shooting range became a huge training city. 28 sq. km - city streets to simulate city battles, simulators, shooting ranges, obstacle courses, auto tracks and training grounds. 40 thousand fighters can train here at the same time. In April 2007, another small (32 ha) training center was opened near Chicago.

BLACKWATER BECOMES A PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANY

The company took off after the September terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Earlier, retired CIA operative Jamie Smith suggested that Prince reformat his company into PMCs, given the increasing demand for such firms. But it was only after September 11, 2001 that Prince realized that there was now a real prospect and offered Smith the vice president. By coincidence, Smith's friend A.B. "Buzzy" Krongard became the CIA's executive director. As a result, without competition, one of the company's divisions, Blackwater Security Consulting (BSC), received a six-month contract ($ 5.4 million) to protect CIA officers who began to create an intelligence network in Afghanistan and hunt for bin Laden. In May 2002, a detachment of 20 mercenaries landed at Bagram airport, with them arrived in Afghanistan and Eric Prince.

There is information that Krongard was not only a friend of Smith, but also knew the Prince family well, but the reason for the success, apparently, in good ties with the Republican Party, Prince donated large sums of money to the Republican election campaigns, including 80 thousand for the election campaign George W. Bush.

After six months, the CIA did not renew the contract. The official reason is that the company has never completed the assigned tasks on time. However, this was most likely due to a conflict of interest between Prince and "Buzzy" Krongard.

Jamie Smith left Blackwater and founded his own PMC SCG International Risk.

BLACKWATER IN IRAQ AND BEYOND

Security contracts for civil servants

The company got a second chance already in Iraq. The Provisional Coalition Administration, created in May 2003, was headed by diplomat Paul Bremer. All contracts for the protection of State Department employees were managed by DynCorp, but this time DynCorp hired Blackwater under a subcontract, paying her $ 21.3 million.

Paul Bremer's security team from Blackwater included 36 personal guards, two mine hunting dogs, three Mamba armored vehicles, a Saracen armored car; three Boeing MD-530 Little Bird helicopters, twin-engine CASA212 transporter. The personnel of the air group - four pilots, four machine gunners, a ground support team. Thus, a precedent arose in modern military history when the civilian head of the occupation authorities received a small private army at his disposal. According to some reports, the rebels announced a price for each killed Blackwater employee - $ 30 thousand.

In July 2004, Blackwater, along with DynCorp International and Triple Canopy, received a two-year contract from the Department of State to protect US diplomatic personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Israel. Blackwater's share is $ 488 million. In 2006, the contract was extended, however, for a diplomatic mission in Iraq. Blackwater, in particular, has taken custody of the US Embassy in Baghdad.

Fighting in Fallujah

The company became world famous after the March 31, 2004 incident in Fallujah. Four of her employees were killed in an exploded car, and an angry mob dragged their remains in front of telephoto lenses, and then hung them on the city bridge. Blackwater guarded the convoys of the German food company Eurest Support Services there. And despite the fact that the dead were civilians, the 6,000-strong US Marine Corps, with powerful artillery and air support, launched a retaliation operation called Vigilant Resolve on April 5. Faced with very serious resistance from Sunni guerrilla groups, the Americans were forced to delay the operation, which lasted until the end of the month, and then completely withdraw.

They made an agreement with Fallujah elders to form a local US-armed brigade to monitor the situation. During this battle, about 700 civilians were killed. Losses of American troops - 27 killed and wounded, the enemy lost more than 200 soldiers. The city actually remained in the hands of the Sunni guerrillas. And the Fallujah Brigade collapsed, its weapons falling into the hands of the rebels. With the help of British and Iraqi allies, American troops were able to take control of the city only in November, carrying out Operation Ghost Rage, during which phosphorus bombs prohibited by the UN Convention were used. Allied losses - 107 killed (95 of them Americans) and more than 600 wounded. The losses of the militants - up to 1.5 thousand killed, about the same number were taken prisoner. At least a thousand civilians died.

Najaf attack

On April 4, 2004, in Najaf, the VKA headquarters, which was guarded by eight Blackwater Security Consalting fighters, attacked several hundred Shiite militants. Together with four American police officers and a US Marine machine gunner, the mercenaries organized a rooftop defense and fought off attack after attack. At the same time, the Spanish and Salvadoran contingents located nearby refused to join the battle. There was also no fire support for the US Army Aviation. Only the company's helicopters delivered ammunition and took away the wounded Marine. The battle lasted almost a day, and the rebels retreated after the American special forces arrived. Blackwater casualties - three wounded. The next day, the American commander in Iraq, Riccardo Sanchez, announced gratitude to all participants in this battle, including the Salvadorans and the Spaniards, except ... Blackwater fighters.

Civilian missions

Up to 200 employees of the company participated in the aftermath of the famous hurricane Katrina in September 2005. They carried out rescue operations, maintained order in devastated New Orleans. Moreover, they worked both under a contract with the US Department of Homeland Security and with private clients. According to some reports, the day the company worked in the disaster zone cost American taxpayers $ 240,000.

"Notoriety" Blackwater

But the truly worldwide "fame" came to Blackwater three years later. On September 16, 2007, employees of the company, guarding the diplomatic convoy of the US State Department, staged a firefight in the central square of Baghdad, which ended in the death of seventeen and wounding eighteen Iraqi civilians (among the victims were children).

After this tragedy, the company was deprived of its license to conduct its activities for one week. The Iraqi government tried to expel PMCs from the country, but to no avail. However, the US government refused to renew the deal with Blackwater, handing it over to Triple Canopy. Investigations into the Baghdad massacre revealed that company employees participated in 195 shootings between 2005 and 2007, and in 84% of cases they opened fire first. In December 2006, a drunken Blackwater fighter shot and killed a security guard for the Vice President of Iraq and was simply expelled from the country.

Security company or mini-army?

In 2008, the company's revenue exceeded one trillion dollars. Its air fleet consisted of more than 20 helicopters, including attack helicopters, hundreds of light armored vehicles - from armored HMMWV jeeps to Saracen armored personnel carriers. The company has developed its own uniform for employees. She actively developed and mass-produced weapons and military equipment, including unmanned aerial vehicles. The most famous developments are the CASA212 transport aircraft converted into a fire support aircraft and the Grizzly high-speed armored car for urban combat.

BLACKWATER REORGANIZATION AND ERIC PRINCE'S CARE

In February 2009, the company's management announced a reorganization and a change of name, now it was renamed He Services LLC. A month later, Prince resigned as CEO of the company, sold all of his shares in December 2010, but retained the right to the name of the Blackwater company. He did not disclose the reasons for his departure, but, obviously, in addition to a whole series of scandalous accusations and lawsuits (the company paid $ 42 million in fines for violations of the Arms Export Act alone), they should be looked for in the fact that Prince and the Blackwater management failed to achieve the main goal - to make the company a full-fledged "private army on call".

Gary Jackson, a former Delta instructor and then President of Blackwater, said openly that they could deploy a battalion-level task force, equipped with heavy equipment and assault aircraft, anywhere in the world and have the full capacity to replace the military if necessary. For example, in Sudanese Darfur, if they manage to come to an agreement with the UN, they are ready to deploy a peacekeeping brigade. But the US government and the UN leadership did not dare to give such independence to PMCs, especially after its Iraqi "exploits".

In 2010, a group of American investors acquired the Moyoke training center. The company changed its name again to become Academi.

PRINCE'S ACTIVITIES AFTER BREAKING WITH BLACKWATER

Eric Prince left for the United Arab Emirates, where he headed the leadership of the Saracen International PMC, which trained local security officials in Somali Puntland and trained bodyguards for the president of the central government in Mogadishu, which controlled only a few metropolitan areas. But a year later, Saracen had to withdraw from Somalia due to allegations of violating the arms embargo. It should be noted that, while still being the CEO of Blackwater, Eric Prince noted great prospects for "military privateers" on the front of the fight against Somali pirates. Blackwater offered clients to hire their own warship, a specially converted former survey vessel McArthur with two MD 530 helicopters, to operate in Somali waters, but to no avail.

In the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa, there are now more than 140 large and small companies, engaged in escorting ships (usually three guards on a ship at a price of $ 21,000 a day), and negotiating the transfer of ransoms for captured ships and crews. The community of London ship insurers even tried to form a flotilla of 18 fast small vessels, armed with large-caliber machine guns, with crews from PMCs (eight fighters each).

In 2012, following the unsuccessful completion of the Somali contract, Eric Prince, through his other firm, Reflex Responses, signed a $ 529 million contract with the UAE government to form a classic 800-fighter foreign mercenary battalion, as well as to “assist in the collection of intelligence information, in matters of security , the fight against terrorism and the suppression of any kind of disorder ”. The UAE government took this step, realizing that it could not rely on its armed forces when Arab revolutions were raging all around.

Expanding the geography of its clientele, in 2013 Prince became a consultant to Chinese PMCs and their clients who are interested in investing in mining operations on the African continent - bauxite, copper, gold, tin, and so on. To do this, he created the military consulting company Frontier Services Group (FSG), which is headquartered in Hong Kong. This company provides crisis management, logistics and aviation support services to firms operating in Africa. FSG works closely with the Chinese state-owned company CITIC Group, which is "worth" $ 12 billion, its 44 offices are scattered around the world, CITIC Group banks, in addition to Hong Kong, are located in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

ACADEMI - SUCCESSOR OF BLACKWATER

As for Academi, after Prince's departure and a series of scandals subsided, the company continued to operate in the security market. In 2010, its Blackwater Worldwide division received a contract from the CIA for $ 100 million, then the contract was extended, increasing its value by 2.5 times.

The Greek government, fearing that a popular uprising could begin in the country, entered into a secret agreement with Academi, according to which PMC employees were to not only train police units, but also monitor the internal situation in the Greek police. The Greek government did not trust its police officers, whose ranks were infiltrated by many militants from the right-wing radical group "Golden Sunrise". In the event of the actual start of the uprising, the PMC fighters were supposed to join the security forces as a third force. In 2013, the US Department of State signed a contract ($ 92 million) with another Academi subsidiary, International Development Solutions, for the protection of diplomatic missions.

A new stage in the company's development was in 2014 the merger with its long-standing competitor Triple Canopy and the entry into Constellis Holdings, Inc. (CHI), which included other private military and security companies, in particular Strategic Social, Tidewater Global Services and National Strategic Protective Services.

However, scandals continued to accompany Blackwater-Academi. In 2014, even before the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, information was leaked to the press that its subsidiary PMC Greystone Limited was attracted by the new Kiev government, which came to power as a result of a coup, to suppress the growing protest moods in the east of the country. This was announced by a certain source in the Security Service of Ukraine. Three hundred Greystone employees have arrived in the country, he said. Interestingly, this Blackwater division was created precisely as a classic PMC to provide tactical support to the client directly on the battlefield.

From a Greystone press release: "Our teams are ready to carry out operations to stabilize, protect and restore the rights of owners to assets and property, emergency evacuation of personnel." All this is easier to translate as military operations. The Ukrainian history of Greystone Limited had a very serious resonance, including at the diplomatic level. There was no documentary evidence of the presence of PMC employees in the South-East of Ukraine. However, there was a great abundance of evidence that the ranks of the National Guard and the volunteer battalions of Ukraine were the most ordinary mercenaries from various countries.

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Protection of ships from pirates, the elimination of a terrorist organization cell, larger-scale military operations - all this is the sphere of activity of modern PMCs. As a rule, these guys do not know fear, have serious training and extensive experience in participating in hostilities.

In the unstable geopolitics of the modern world, PMCs have become one of the most demanded and effective tools in solving the military tasks of many states. Private military companies turned out to be indispensable in special operations where it is not possible to use the usual military contingent.

The protection of ships from pirates, the combat task of eliminating the cell of a terrorist organization in another country, and even more large-scale military operations - all this is the sphere of activity of modern PMCs. As a rule, these guys do not know fear, have serious training and extensive experience in participating in hostilities.

Many of these organizations have offices around the world, others work with the UN as a guarantor of security. Their work is spoken of in a variety of tones, but we will tell you about the 10 most famous PMCs in the world.

No. 1 Academi (Blackwater)

Country: USA

Number: over 20,000 mercenaries.

Specialization: support for coups d'état and the established regime in countries where the American military contingent has been deployed. Many unofficial sources claim that this PMC works with arms smuggling and protects drug traffic from the Middle East.

The loudest operations: Iraq, Baghdad, 2007.

In 1997, two Marines decided to set up their own security company, ready to take on any job if paid well. This is how one of the most famous PMCs in the world appeared - Blackwater. The murder of civilians, the smuggling of weapons, drug trafficking and coups d'état - as it turned out, many were ready to pay for the provision of such services, including the governments of entire countries.

It all started in 2002 when Blackwater Security Consulting (BSC) received its first major contract from the CIA. Twenty gallant thugs arrived in Afghanistan to guard the employees of the department, who announced the hunt for "terrorist # 1" - Osama bin Laden.

Upon completion of the six-month mission, the company raised $ 5.4 million. But the main thing here was not money, but the connections that the PMC acquired. Indeed, since then and to this day, the American special services have acted as the main customer of Blackwater. And from that moment on, Blackwater's reputation began to grow into disrepute, forcing the company's management to change its name twice. Today they refer to themselves as Academi.

The Blackwater operatives completed their second major order the following year. In May 2003, they were hired to guard US State Department officials in Iraq. As a result, the thugs hit a jackpot of $ 21.4 million. But the most interesting was ahead of them.

Blackwater gained worldwide fame on September 16, 2007. In the central square of Baghdad, the mercenaries staged a firefight, as a result of which 17 civilians were shot dead, and another 18 were seriously injured. A scandal erupted. And although there were children among the victims, the thugs did not suffer any serious punishment.

The Iraqi government tried to expel PMCs from the country, but to no avail. Affected by the very connections that Blackwater secured in 2002. Refusal to renew the contract - this was the official reaction of the customer - the US government.

Subsequently, it turned out that employees of the company from 2005 to 2007 participated in 195 shootings. In 84% of cases, mercenaries did not hesitate to open fire to kill, despite the right to use weapons only for the purpose of self-defense.

No. 2 G4S (Group 4 Securicor)

Country: United Kingdom

Number: more than 500,000 people

Specialization: transportation of valuables and funds, as well as a complete set of private security services. Protection of strategic facilities and major international events such as sports Olympics; escorting prisoners on behalf of the police.

The loudest operations: In the period from 2004 to 2011. absorbed seven of its competitors.

The largest PMC in the world, represented in 125 countries. By comparison, the British army is 180,000 men. The headquarters are located in London.

G4S personnel are hired to provide airport security and escort prisoners on behalf of the police. The firm's clients include not only corporations, financial institutions and governments of sovereign states, but also airports, seaports, logistics and transport providers, as well as individuals.

In hotspots, British mercenaries are officially engaged in ammunition clearance, personnel training and rail transport security. In 2011, the company's management signed the UN Global Compact, which is an international standard for promoting business behavior, including health, safety, human rights, anti-corruption and environmental protection.

The loudest victories of Group 4 Securicor did not take place on the battlefields, but, as strange as it may sound, in business. In the period from 2004 to 2011. PMC absorbed seven of its competitors. It expanded its directions to include not only security measures, but also the production of gadgets and security systems, which are now imported by the company around the world. Despite the fact that the company positions itself precisely as PMCs, there is no information about the company's participation in military operations. But there is its own index on the international stock exchange.

# 3 MPRI International (Military Professional Resources) Inc.

Country: USA

Number: 3,000 people

Specialization: MPRI International provides training programs for special forces personnel. Assists the governments of countries in developing effective analysis of information, provides support for research and assessment of public opinion.

The loudest operations: Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1994. Preparation of the "Balkan Blitzkrieg".

"We teach to kill professionally." The company, created by 8 former officers of the US Armed Forces, has become a kind of springboard for training special forces fighters, providing a wide range of services for the governments and armed forces of 40 countries of the world.

But the real profit of the American PMC comes from work in the midst of modern global conflicts. Throughout its history, the mercenaries of MPRI International managed to take part in almost all armed conflicts in the Balkans, the Middle East, South America and Africa.

In February 1994, MPRI thugs, on behalf of the US State Department, facilitated the conclusion of a treaty between Croats and Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under pressure from mercenaries, the leaders of the opposing sides were forced to sign a treaty providing for military opposition to the Serbs.

Subsequently, the PMC, consisting of retired American officers, was able to quickly prepare the military of the highest echelon of the armies of Croatia and Bosnia, as well as develop and implement an effective system of operational communications between the headquarters and NATO troops, which ultimately affected the successful outcome of the so-called "Balkan blitzkrieg ".

After the end of the active phase of the conflict, the company continued to work with the Kosovo Liberation Army, then worked with the Albanian armed groups in Macedonia in 2000-2001 and government forces in Liberia and Colombia.

And in 2001, at the initiative of the US Department of Defense, the MPRI International thugs headed to Georgia to reorganize the Georgian armed forces according to NATO standards.

# 4 Aegis Defense Services

Country: United Kingdom

Number: more than 20,000 people

Specialization: security activities in the aerospace, diplomatic and government sectors, as well as in the mining and oil and gas industries. The company also provides armed personnel services for the US government and UN missions.

The loudest operations: Iraq, 2005.

Representative offices of this PMC are open in Kenya, Iraq, Nepal, Bahrain, Afghanistan and the United States, and its headquarters are located in Basel.

Officially, the company's employees are engaged in security activities, but in addition to security, the company also provides the services of armed personnel. As often happens, the main customer is the US government, and scandals are not complete.

In 2005, a video appeared on the Internet in which Aegis Defense Services employees shoot unarmed Iraqis. And although the company's management did not admit its involvement in the incident, the Pentagon still temporarily suspended cooperation with the PMC.

Now the PMC is fulfilling another contract from the American authorities in the amount of 497 million dollars, providing for security in Iraq and the protection of the US government in Kabul.

No. 5 PMC RSB-Group (Russian security systems)

Country: Russia

Number: the backbone is about 500 people. Depending on the scale of the operation, the number of employees can grow to several thousand through the involvement of hired specialists.

Specialization: conducting security operations, both on land and at sea. The company provides professional competitive intelligence and military consulting services. The RSB-group also has its own training center, where training seminars for military specialists are held.

The loudest operations: Gulf of Aden, 2014.

RSB-Group is by far the main Russian private military company. According to some reports, the number of employees is about 500 people, but with large operations the staff of an organization can reach several thousand. It is considered the most qualified and efficient organization in the security sector of the Russian market.

Officially, PMCs operate in zones with an unstable political situation. Basically, "RSB-Group" conducts operations in the Middle East.

The creators are professional military personnel, reserve officers of the GRU and the FSB, who have passed more than one hot spot and have the highest level of command interaction.

The headquarters of "RSB-Group" is located in Moscow. Representative offices are open in Sri Lanka, Turkey, Germany and Cyprus. In addition, there is an office in Senegal that oversees West Africa and the Middle East, in which this PMC specializes and where it conducts large-scale operations.

At the international level, RSB-Group positions itself as a Russian private military company. The range of services offered includes the protection of oil and gas facilities and airports, escorting convoys in conflict zones and cargo ships in pirate-prone sea areas, as well as demining, military training, reconnaissance and analysis.

According to Oleg Krinitsyn, director of RSB-group, PMC employees have been providing services abroad since 2011.

“RSB has security firms with weapons licenses registered outside of Russia. And Russian RSB employees work abroad in accordance with the laws and requirements of the state where our security groups are located. We use semi-automatic weapons of 7.62 mm, 5.56 mm caliber, body armor, thermal imagers, night vision devices, satellite communications, if necessary, we can use UAVs, ”Krinitsyn said in an interview with Kommersant.

He also said that the first foreign operation of the "RSB-group" was the protection of ships in the Gulf of Aden from Somali pirates. It is noteworthy that the PMC has built its own tactics for protecting ships, thanks to which the pirates simply changed their course, abandoned military clashes and even on rare occasions welcomed well-armed soldiers from the RSB on the ship they were guarded. Thus, PMCs manage to provide protection at sea almost bloodlessly.

No. 6 Erinys International

Country: United Kingdom

Number: not known

Specialization: PMC's activities are focused on providing security services, in particular, in areas of Central Africa with very difficult natural conditions.

The loudest operations: Iraq, 2003.

British military company registered offshore in the British Virgin Islands. It has a number of subsidiaries in the UK, Republic of the Congo, Cyprus and South Africa.

"The main US support in Iraq." Since 2003, Erinys has been providing comprehensive support to the US government in military operations in Iraq.

PMC employees are former employees of British intelligence agencies and special forces.

The largest operation in recent years has been the deployment of 16,000 security guards in Iraq at 282 locations throughout the country. A huge contingent ensured the safety of pipelines and other energy infrastructure nodes.

In 2004, she found herself at the center of a scandal when in 2004 information about the ill-treatment of prisoners appeared in the press. According to journalists, the mercenaries violated the convention on human rights by brutally torturing a 16-year-old Iraqi during a military investigation.

The company currently works closely with oil and gas corporations, extractive industries, non-governmental organizations and public services. Also, the American and British governments, and even the UN, are willingly using the services.

# 7 Northbridge Services Group

Country: Dominican Republic

Number: Varies depending on tasks

Specialization: security advice and training, operational and intelligence support, and strategic communications. Also, PMCs provide assistance in the field of maritime security and protection of natural resources.

The loudest operations: Liberia, 2003.

"Every whim for your money". The main customers of this PMC are transnational companies and conglomerates, which are generous in paying for various tasks to protect their own business in different parts of the world.

Northbridge Services Group is registered in the Dominican Republic. Offices are open in the USA, UK and Ukraine.

The company "provides an efficient service designed to meet the needs of governments, multinational corporations and non-governmental organizations, the corporate sector and individuals."

Northbridge mercenaries assist law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and unauthorized information searches, provide assistance in the field of maritime security and the protection of natural resources.

Financial receipts in 2012 amounted to $ 50.5 million

She gained worldwide fame in 2003 when she offered the UN Tribunal to seize the President of Liberia Charles Taylor for $ 2 million. But the offer was rejected as illegal.

PMCs have played an important role in the settlement of the armed conflict in this country. Northbridge Services Group sided with the rebels, thereby ensuring the overthrow of the country's official government and the further introduction of UN peacekeepers into its territory.

No. 8 DynCorp

Country: USA

Number: about 14 thousand people.

Specialization: the widest range of services for protection and protection in the air, on land and on the water. In addition, the company is a security systems developer and solution provider for military combat strategies.

The loudest operations: Afghanistan, 2002.

PMC DynCorp appeared back in 1946. The corporation is headquartered in Virginia, but all operational management is carried out from an office in Texas. More than 65% of DynCorp's revenue comes from the US government.

The oldest PMC in the world provides services to the American military in several theaters of war, including Bolivia, Bosnia, Somalia, Angola, Haiti, Colombia, Kosovo and Kuwait. DynCorp provides physical protection services for Afghan President Hamid Karzai and trains most of the Iraqi and Afghan police forces.

According to some experts, the company is closely connected with the CIA and under its cover dubious deals could be carried out.

There are several major scandals in the history of the corporation.

The Iraqi authorities have accused the company and the US State Department of misappropriating $ 1.2 billion to train law enforcement agencies.

In October 2007, a company employee killed a taxi driver in Baghdad, and in July 2010, DynCorp employees shot four Afghan civilians near Kabul airport.

# 9 ITT Corporation

Country: USA

Number: about 9,000 employees.

Specialization: high-tech engineering and defense technology production.

The loudest operations: Latin America and South America 1964.

PMC appeared as one of the divisions of ITT Corporation. The organization itself began in the 1920s as an international telephone and telegraph company. After the division into directions, it became one of the main executors of orders of the US government in the defense industry.

ITT Corporation is considered one of the largest companies engaged in high-tech engineering development, as well as the production and implementation of defense technologies.

She became famous for her direct participation in the overthrow of the Latin American regimes, in the Brazilian coup in 1964, when the governments of the countries tried to nationalize American companies, as well as for financing the group that brought Pinochet to power in 1973.

In March 2007, ITT Corporation was fined $ 100 million by the US Department of Justice for sharing information on night vision devices and laser countermeasures technologies to Singapore, China and the United Kingdom.

No. 10 Asgaard German Security Group

Country: Germany

Number: unknown

Specialization: planning of operations and support in risk zones, security, consulting, training and advanced training, seminars.

The loudest operations: Somalia 2010.

One of the most famous German PMCs. Founded in 2007 by a former high-ranking German paratrooper named Thomas Kaltegartner. The number of employees remains unknown to this day. It has offices in Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Morocco, Chad, Croatia and the United Arab Emirates.

It is noteworthy that the German Foreign Ministry made an official statement that it does not control the activities of this PMC in any way and does not know anything about its activities in Somalia.

The PMC is known for having entered into one of the most resonant contracts with the Somali opposition leader Galadid Abdinur Ahmad Darman, who in 2003 declared himself the president of the republic. In 2009, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed became interim president, and Galadid decided to strengthen his position with the help of German mercenaries.

The legality and official recognition of the activities of private military companies is a fairly popular topic today. This is especially true in Russia, where this phenomenon has just begun to appear, in contrast to the West and Europe, whose PMCs have been operating for a long time. The efficiency of work in hot spots of such companies has already been proven, the only question is whether they will be officially recognized by the state or not.

Sergei Goncharov, President of the Association of Veterans of the Alpha Anti-Terror Unit, said that the State Duma could speed up the decision on the adoption of a law on private military companies.

“Frankly speaking, as far as I understand, such a law on private military companies has not yet been adopted in Russia. Although this topic has been raised many times, because our "main opponents" - the United States, Great Britain and France, have private companies that are actively operating around the globe. They are doing quite serious work, which brings dividends to these countries, ”Goncharov said.

At the moment, the issue of monitoring the activities of PMCs is in a "stagnant" state. According to Sergei Goncharov, it must be addressed to the State Duma, which could introduce an appropriate bill.