ABSTRACT
This chapter explains what security sector reform (SSR) is, why is has become increasingly privatized, and some of the benefits and risks of outsourcing it. It argues that privatizing SSR can significantly alter strategic outcomes. In contemporary international security practice, SSR is a tool that can help a country acquire the monopoly of force. Risks involve a growing overdependence on the private sector to perform SSR, a key tool for global security. It also promotes the development of an international private military and security company (PMSC) industry, a grave concern for some. SSR has proven a growth industry for PMSCs. PMSCs are defined as expeditionary conflict entrepreneurs structured as companies that use lethal force or train others to do so. They can be further divided into two types: mercenaries and military enterprisers. Mercenaries can conduct autonomous military campaigns, offensive operations and force projection, and generally select clientele based on profit margin rather than ideology.
