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Too lazy to read the article, but this was a thing in Russia for a long time. The USSR falling apart in the 90s correlated with a bunch of special forces coming
by madeuptempacct 8y ago
Too lazy to read the article, but this was a thing in Russia for a long time. The USSR falling apart in the 90s correlated with a bunch of special forces coming back from Afghanistan and then Chechnya. They had no jobs and crime rates were high, so naturally private security companies popped up. Naturally, body guard schools popped up.
I didn't read the article, but I watched a documentary on the Chinese companies, and it seems like they are far closer to the security guard than the "any threat, anywhere" type deal.
Regarding Blackwater and its equivalents, there is a merc company called "Wagner Group" in Russia that recently attacked an oil field in Syria held by pro-US rebels. The US hit them with artillery from a MEC position, and then fixed-wing and AH-64 CAS ran train on them for four hours. The US and Russia initially denied any direct US on Russia contact. So, it seems like Russian "military" PMCs are more expendable, deniable spam when compared to BlackWater/Academi/whatever they are calling themselves these days.
That's not to say Russsia doesn't have the capability, but they prefer to keep their "PMCs" as black units directly under FSB control, a la "rebels" running around Ukraine with radar-controlled machine guns, taking out helicopters on take off, etc.
To tie this all back to China - they haven't shown themselves on that level yet to the best of my knowledge.
- noelwelsh 8y agoA bit of acronym expansion: * PMC = private military company * FSB = Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation * CAS = close air support BBC article on the Wagner group, including attack mentioned above: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43167697 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43167697
- clojurestan 8y agoWhat about MEC?
- noelwelsh 8y agoCouldn't work that one out in the time I was prepared to put into it :)
- madeuptempacct 8y agoMarine Expeditionary Unit - the smallest "self-sufficient" deployable unite of the "regular" US Marine Corps. In this case, it's just relevant to understand that its infantry with embedded artillery and air support.
- forkLding 8y agoPMCs wouldn't be able to operate in China in the first place. Private Bodyguard/Security services have only been allowed by the govt. since 2010. Chinese govt. won't allow a lot of armed private Chinese groups wandering around. Like aside from there might being some kind of armed rebellion, I think most Chinese people are wary of warlords because those tend to pop up now and then in Chinese history.
- rospaya 8y ago> The US hit them with artillery from a MEC position, and then fixed-wing and AH-64 CAS ran train on them for four hours. The US and Russia initially denied any direct US on Russia contact The whole thing is fascinating. If true - and several sources from both sides confirmed it - the US military killed dozens of Russian combatants in a battle not seen even during the cold war.
- teachrdan 8y agoThere are also accounts during the Vietnam War of US fighter pilots killing Russian anti-aircraft weapons operators, and vice versa.
- Regardsyjc 8y agoCould you share the title of the documentary you watched?