Introduction

This introduction presents the chapters included in the edited volume by identifying the overarching themes weaving the collection together. The transformations in the international system since the publication of the latest edited collections on private security call for not merely updating but a complete reassessment of the field. Notably, there is a need for decentring the Eurocentric premises of private security studies by bringing in more evidence and perspectives from the Global South on the use and regulation of armed and unarmed contractors. Moreover, the glaring erosion of the anti-mercenary norm calls for a more systematic examination of private forces’ involvement in combat across regions and conflicts. The increasing automation of warfare may simultaneously boost and challenge this trend, magnifying the role played by tech companies while reducing the need for private providers of security and logistics by enabling the replacement of soldiers and contractors alike.