5. Sea Power and PMSCs

Chapter 5 emphasizes PMSC labour-centric stances in its focus on sea power. With the conventional forces norm in mind, this chapter identifies the milieu in which PMSCs are injected, one that favours expensive and sophisticated technology for decisive effect, for replacing personnel on land, and for augmenting state prestige. The result is that there is a space for a PMSC presence, but one should note a difference in kind because PMSCs do not and cannot access the marketplace for sophisticated naval machines. For the PMSC industry, this is not necessarily a bad thing because rather than replicate the characteristics and limitations of state forces, PMSCs instead compensate for the qualitative and quantitative challenges that these forces confront. This chapter makes this plain in its extended consideration of PMSCs countering Somali pirates, an endeavour that has been both largely labour-centric and framed by states and others in a defensive mode.