ABSTRACT
Contractors have supported belligerents in every age. In various roles they served the earliest tribes, ancient city-states, medieval courts, emerging European empires and more recent governments around the world. Since the end of the Cold War public and private sector support has increased greatly as measured by several yardsticks: financial value, range of occupations and complexity of roles; diversity of employee and sub-contractor nationalities; the dispersed locations of states of incorporation, registered offices and principal places of business; and for some, a narrowing of proximity to lethal violence. In terms of agency, there has been an expansion in the type and number of principals who hold interests in armed conflict. They include a greater range in states' agencies, inter-governmental organisations (IGOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Multi-national companies (MNCs) have also become prominent, often in extractive industry and energy production. States seek a constantly evolving mix of public and private resources in support of organised violence.
