Although many contractor-intensive wars in Asia and Europe are winding down, a key observer believes that the PMC industry’s worldwide value will reach $326.38 billion by 2032
The private military services market is experiencing notable growth driven by heightened global security concerns and the increasing need for specialized defense solutions. Integral to addressing evolving security challenges, private military services play a crucial role in offering tailored expertise and support. Market leaders are actively investing in research and development to stay ahead of emerging threats, emphasizing continuous improvement in technology and strategy to enhance the effectiveness of their services. Despite challenges posed by geopolitical uncertainties and shifting defense priorities, the private military services sector remains resilient, showcasing its commitment to providing essential solutions in the ever-changing landscape of global security.
Innovation and adaptability are key drivers in the private military services market, where companies focus on developing advanced technologies and strategic approaches to meet the evolving needs of modern security environments.
Global Security
Every year, global security concerns get worse, not better. That is especially true in three primary areas. Contractors are well-suited to meet these needs in all three areas.
Terrorism
The self-proclaimed War on Terror is officially over. But the global struggle continues. Iraq is mostly terrorist-free, as is Syria, and the United States gave up on Afghanistan, at least according to some. But terrorism hot spots remain in places like:
- Burkina Faso: Almost a third of Burkinabès deal with severe hunger, lack of clean water, or other pressing problems, such as lack of educational services, on a daily basis. Such an environment is a breeding ground for terrorists. Most recently, in August 2024, Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin terrorists, an al-Qaeda-linked jihadist organization, killed hundreds during an attack in the Barsalogho Department of northern Burkina Faso.
- Mali: 2022 was the deadliest terrorism year on record for this West African nation, and the violence continues. In September 2024, during an attack on the capital city of Bamako, militants killed at least seventy-seven people and injured another two hundred fifty-five.
- Somalia: Authorities thought they’d broken the back of al-Shabaab. Indeed, the number of attacks on civilians in Mogadishu has declined. But civilian deaths in the capital city more than tripled. Al-Shabaab’s presence is even stronger in the country’s southern provinces.
Other global terrorism hot or warm spots include Pakistan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Cameron, Niger, and Mozambique. Overall, global terrorism deaths reached an all-time high in 2022. Contractors supplement government security forces, turning soft targets into hard targets that terrorists think twice about attacking.
Cyberattacks
The internet is the Achilles’ heel of society. Cripple the internet, and everything shuts down. Cyber hackers and other terrorist groups have come up with new ways to hack into networks almost as quickly as network security engineers have designed and implemented new ways to protect them. Recent attacks on friendly foreign governments include:
- Israel: Attackers used advanced malware to attack Middle Eastern government entities that published human rights studies related to the Israel-Hamas War.
- Mongolia: Spies infiltrated Mongolia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cabinet websites. They added malicious code to the websites to exfiltrate a victim’s browser cookies. Attackers used the same exploits as those sold by commercial surveillance vendors such as NSO Group and Intellexa.
- Germany: In 2024, investigators concluded a three-year examination of a “serious” cyberattack against Germany’s Federal Office for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG), which conducts precision mapping of the entire country, in 2021.
Sometimes, the pen is mightier than the sword. That’s why some private military contractors carry laptops instead of machine guns. Contractors help ensure that protected data stays protected.
Geopolitical Tensions
Turn on the TV news, and you will learn everything you wanted to know, and probably more than you wanted to know, about wars in Israel and Ukraine, as well as other global geopolitical tensions.
Contractors subtly stabilize these situations. American troops are not welcome in most parts of the world, but American contractors are tolerated. Most people do not see companies like KBR as imperialist invaders. Once in-country, contractors provide stability, just like they do in anti-insurgency situations, as mentioned above.
Corporate Security
In the United States, there’s usually a significant difference between corporations and the state. But in many other parts of the world, these two entities overlap. Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, which is owned by the Saudi Arabian government, is a good example.
The rising need for enhanced corporate security stands as a driving force for the private military services market. As businesses operate in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, the threat landscape has expanded to include cyber threats, industrial espionage, and other security risks.
Private military services play a crucial role in providing comprehensive security solutions for commercial and industrial entities. This includes safeguarding assets, ensuring the safety of personnel, and implementing strategies to mitigate potential security breaches. The heightened focus on corporate security reinforces the demand for private military services, driving growth within this sector of the market.
Injury Compensation Available
No matter what contractors do, they risk serious injury. Also no matter what they do, when they’re injured overseas, a Defense Base Act lawyer can obtain the compensation these victims need and deserve.
Job injury victims need this money to pay bills. They deserve this money because, in most cases, their injuries weren’t their fault. That’s the beauty of a compensation system like the Defense Base Act. Even if the victim was partially responsible for a job-related injury or entirely responsible for it, compensation is available.
This compensation usually includes lost wage replacement. This benefit may be the most important DBA benefit. Generally, a private military contractor is a family’s primary, or only, breadwinner. The lost wage replacement categories are:
- Permanent Total Disability: Basically, total disability means a victim is unable to work not only because of a medical condition but also because the victim doesn’t have a sufficient education, vocational, or other background to find another job. A disabled contractor could become President of the United States, but that’s pretty unlikely.
- Permanent Partial Disability: These cases often involve the loss of a limb, digit, or other amputation. A PPD victim could also struggle with a long-term occupational disease, like toxic exposure, breathing problems, and be unable to work full time. Permanent partial wage replacement is usually available in these cases.
- Temporary Total Disability: TTD is the largest DBA injury category. These victims cannot work until they fully recover from their injuries or illnesses. Therefore, the DBA usually replaces two-thirds of the victim’s lost wages for the full duration of that temporary disability, including recovery time and physical therapy time.
- Temporary Partial Disability: Sometimes, doctors partially clear injured contractors. They can work part-time or accept light-duty assignments. These positions pay substantially less, so the DBA pays two-thirds of the difference between the old and new incomes.
All these lost wage replacement benefits are based on the current and future average weekly wage. The AWW includes all regular and irregular cash and non-cash compensation. A Defense Base Act lawyer often partners with an accountant or other outside professional to calculate future AWW.
For more information about DBA medical bill payment, contact Barnett, Lerner, Karsen, Frankel & Castro, P.A.