I don't think we have a thread on this topic, but I randomly stumbled across a website I don't think the average citizen knows about. This is some high level shit. http://www.drakenintl.com/ They are apparently helping the US government to train US fighter pilots as well: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...plans-for-its-huge-adversary-support-contract Feel free to post any other examples you find. I think we all know the story of Blackwater. It's a pretty shady business in general. I'm not saying I like the idea of seeing more PMCs operating, but it is a very interesting subject. Why do I get the feeling we are one major conflict away from seeing an expansion of these companies?
Draken is one of several large adversarial aviation outfits in the states. One just bought out several nation's worth of Mirage F1 fighters. I think the biggest difference is that they do training roles as apposed to direct combat which Blackwater was involved in. There are some that do more direct operations but they generally are either front companies or exist specifically for plausible deniability for various three letter government agencies.
Considering how cheap a used mirage f1 is I'm not surprised they are able to buy as many as they are.
Damn... even knowing everything I know, that video makes me want to believe that would be a pretty fucking cool job. They basically get to play with cool military toys without the military annoyances.
So...as a mercen......private military contractor....I support all my brethren who use the skills they learned defending their country to further improve their lives after their service time is complete. That being said...I have worked for several contracting/security companies and have no issues with the direction all of this is going. It means job security for me. Companies like Drakon provide a service that the military could do but don't like to because of the expense. Also, I have worked for the company formerly known as Blackwater, now know as Xi/Triple Canopy/Constellis/many other subsidiaries, and currently work with several men who responded to the infamous incident that lead to Blackwaters downfall. There is more to the story than the public is lead to believe. FYI, I am writing this from Baghdad, Iraq where I am currently working for one of hundreds of private military/security contract companies.
A lot of the marines hated the civilian contractors. 1 because they got paid 11 to 13k a month to work 8 hours a day 6 days a week while we had been paid shit compared. For doing menial tasks to like deliver water, fix lighting, HVAC repair, etc. 2 because the security contractors at the time would get what ever they wanted through destroying perfectly fine equipment. New MRAP... AC isn’t working... put it on side of road and blow it up.. same for flat tires even though they have run flat technology. While marines had still been using 15 year old shit with no AC, still in woodland paint which made them literally a oven in the summer, which we used till the day we pulled out in late 2010
Kind if a side note, but why hadn't someone thought to get a paint can and address that? Seems like a simple fix.
The complaints of people actually doing the dirty shit mean nothing to those that just sit behind a desk all day just signing their name. The metal also gets so hot it will burn you, had to wear gloves so such things wouldnt happen. You only forget once when you go to grab a chain to tie something down. The enlisted could have just bought a case of paint and had it shipped but I wouldnt doubt there would be some stupid operational crap of not using it. The only stuff in tan for my unit was the newer hummer M1113's that had the turret and full armor kits and MRAPs. Later on we could only use the 7ton trucks, MRAPs, M870s, and the wrecker. from what i remember none of the AC's worked in the m870s and only about half of the 7ton trucks. Which normally made up 90% of our convoys because our mission was to move shit from A to B. One last thing from what I remember, All of the hummers and lots of other vehicles that had been brought over stayed over there. They had been gifted to the new government in power. This is one of the reasons isis got so powerful because they literally grabbed all of the new up armored vehicles they could from the iraqi army when they fled or surrendered. grammar edits.
The main aspect of it is that they lived in constant terror of Saddams secret police that would kidnap and torture people to death. Now the people they are fighting are the same in that they don’t know who exactly they could be, along with kidnaping and torturing. The thing I’m surprised about is the lack of private maritime security. You would think with the amount of ships that get highjacked in the Indian Ocean near Africa there would be someone out there trying to make some money. I know ships have been taking on private security but that’s mainly for container ships to fight off pirates. No actual security that are using their own ships to fight pirates, unless there is and I haven’t heard about it.
I feel like that gets into some maritime law issues, you can defend "your" ship (as the security teams are contracted for the owners of the vessel) but offensive actions could have you fall under the definitions of piracy in international maritime law. There are a number of international navies that patrol those waters so there is an offensive force there, but it is a big ocean and only so many ships to patrol it. With most shipping flagged outside of the US, there isn't as large of a pressure on the US navy to always be there outside to keep it somewhat contained to keep trade from being disrupted too much.
There are maritime laws that affect what you can and can not do. Which is why most companies that have ships spending an extended amount of time in high risk areas just pay the extra couple million per year to have security on the ships. In the end, a couple million is nothing compared to what you would pay for ransom/insurance. I have a friend that did this for a few years as a designated marksman and made 150k+ for sitting on a ship for a few months and doing the occasional re-certification shoot.
but of course the pay is so high because of the risk to life and limb, sure most of them will sit there and see no action, but if there are pirates, and they're willing to take on armed guards, odds are it's because they're pretty well armed and prepared for you. I mean, or they're just stupid, but those are rarely a significant threat and often will be quickly deterred by shooting a few of them
I don't think I've ever heard a case where the pirates were "well armed" in any practical sense of the word. As far as I know, every successful capture that has happened was because the ship was unprepared to deal with boarders with machine guns. And I'm not so sure the pay is high just because of "risk of life and limb". There's a lot of factors at play besides the elevated, but still unlikely scenario of pirates attacking a ship. Also consider that they are at sea for long durations, away from friends and family and shipping companies have very deep pockets.. It is possible that your average law enforcement officer may face just as much personal danger for significantly less pay.
The rpg-7 is still popular among pirates and two bit warlords. They are well enough armed for what they do.
The danger is in addition to those things that natively come with a sea voyage. Also while the police have similar hazard issues, they are not privatized and therefor even with hazard pay hardly receive what they should for their job. It's a public service and unfortunately most of our politicians are far too greedy to reward anyone else's public service more than their own. Personally I think voting to increase your own pay should come with a mandatory resignation.
Do these security personnel get to bring their own weapons or are they given weapons. As someone that was in the marines I dont think I will ever use/trust a weapon I dont ever own anymore. You can blame knights armament with the shit job they did with the service weapons the marines got from them. All I hear is praise and bullshit of how awesomely amazing they are now on the civilian side. Though nothing of the complaints and bitching about getting new FN M16A4'S that they upgraded which some could barely hold 6 inch groups at a hundred yards. Some of which looked like refurbished or modified M16a2's with how the lowers and bolt carrier groups looked. The M16a2 I had in boot that looked 20 years old and beaten to living hell could hold 2 inch groups. The rifle was also just a hair from 12 pounds after all the crap the unit wanted on it.
