The Canadian Army Journal

somewhere between 20,000 to 30,000 contractors were operating in the country. 3 This
growth has been exponential. The first Gulf War saw the ratio between US soldiers and
contractors at approximately 50:1. By the second Gulf War that ratio had increased
dramatically to 10:1. 4 These contractors span the spectrum of services provided by the
industry, from reconstruction to consulting, advising, support services, logistics and
training. Some of these services involve the use of armed private contractors. These
companies are not just hired to carry out tasks on behalf of private industry operating in
Iraq. A substantial amount of work involves contracts with US government agencies
such as the State Department and the Department of Defense. These departments, illequipped
and undermanned to operate in the counter-insurgency climate of Iraq, have
turned to private firms to fill the void. 5
The purpose of this paper is to examine the main issues related to the use of armed
contractors by the CF and argue that the CF could successfully employ them in
operations. The industry will be described, along with definitions of the various types of
companies currently operating in the market, and a working definition will be provided for
those firms that provide armed contractors—the military provider firm. To provide
sufficient background, a brief history of the private military industry will be explored.
Then, the various reasons for the post-Cold War explosion of the industry will be
examined. A brief history of CF contractor support will be reviewed, including the
Canadian Contractor Augmentation Program (CANCAP). The recent Land Force
decision to contract out some basic occupation training, once considered a core military
function, reflects other western armies’ experiences. It will be argued that the use of
armed contractors is simply the next step in a path that other western nations have
already gone down. The demographic challenges facing the CF and Canada as a whole
will be examined. It will be shown that the CF will, for the foreseeable future, remain
short of personnel to do all things being demanded of it by governments that have
demonstrated a willingness to continually employ the CF. Armed private military
contractors may provide a solution to this demographic crisis. Finally, the legal issues
surrounding the use of armed contractors will be explored. Despite some challenges
and limitations, it will be argued that there are methods that can be employed that would
Canadian Army Journal Vol. 11.1 Spring 2008
Combat Camera AR2008-Z140-09
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