Private military contractors (PMCs) are no longer novelties of irregular warfare. From Ukraine to Sudan, PMCs are now operating across the full spectrum of conflict, taking on roles once considered the exclusive purview of national militaries. But despite their expanding presence, there remains little study of how PMCs’ unique pseudo-state functions, the ambiguous nature of their affiliations, and their independent institutional interests fit within existing U.S. operational concepts and doctrine, particularly in the field of escalation management when weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are present. Based on findings and insights from a series of three scenario-based discussions, this policy memo describes how the presence of PMCs in various conflict settings and domains altered, disrupted, or exposed gaps in existing U.S. approaches to escalation management, deterrence, and WMD risks.
