The transformation of war : the rise of private contractors / Christopher Kinsey.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 45-58)

Introduction -- Defining War Fighting -- The Emergence of a Self-Sufficient Military Model --A Not So New Core-Competency Military Model -- The Role of Contractors on the Battlefield -- The Challenges of Using Contractors on the Battlefield -- Conclusion.

"This paper is divided into four parts: the first simply defines what is meant by war fighting and identifies which military tasks fall under the war-fighting banner or outside it in the case of logistical support. The second part gives a brief account of the role of contractors in support of military operations during the Cold War, which is widely seen as a period in which militaries were self-sufficient. However, the reality was somewhat different since it was during this period that contractors began to take on roles that in the past were deemed the responsibility of the military. What appeared different during the Cold War was that the contracting out of support functions was confined to home bases and had not yet reached the front line. The third part explains why states now feel the need to turn to contractors for support in expeditionary operations, while the final part examines the socio/political, economic and technological forces driving this change. It should also be noted that this paper is concerned mainly with the UK and US militaries, for the simple reason that these forces have gone the furthest in contracting out their logistical support in the operational space."