No. 80: Privatising Security

The Limits of Military Outsourcing

Author(s): Ulrich Petersohn
Editor(s): Daniel Trachsler
Series: CSS Analyses in Security Policy
Issue: 80
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich
Publication Year: 2010

Increasingly, the armed forces of Western countries are outsourcing military tasks to private contractors. The aim is to enhance efficiency. However, an excessive outsourcing can have a negative effect on mission fulfilment. This raises the question of how far this practice can be allowed to go. Hitherto, the approach has been to assess the expedience of outsourcing in terms of capability categories in a one-time consideration of the balance between efficiency and effectiveness. However, the relationship between efficiency gains and loss of effectiveness depends to a considerable degree on the security situation. Decisions on outsourcing should therefore be made flexibly in accordance with the security environment.

Download:

Graphics:

The Ratio of Civilians to Soldiers in Selected Conflicts

Switzerland and Outsourcing of Security Tasks