“In this timely and thought-provoking work, Christopher Spearin provides important new insight into the normative, technological and strategic factors that help shape the use of private military and security companies on land, at sea and in the air. The analysis increases our understanding of these commercial actors and the ways in which their past, present and future remains intimately linked to states and the organisation, control, and deployment of military force. This is a significant addition to research in this field and will appeal to students, scholars and policy makers alike.” – Joakim Berndtsson, Associate Professor, University of Gothenburg, Sweden This book identifies and explains the functional and ideational boundaries regarding what states and Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) both do and possess regarding land power, sea power, and air power. Whereas the mercenaries, privateers, and chartered companies of years past held similar characteristics to state military forces, the PMSCs of today are |