War in Ukraine - Blackwater to the front - US President Biden considers deploying private US soldiers
Western troops to Ukraine? The topic is explosive in relation to Russia, but also in each country. The Biden administration is reportedly working on a clever solution: They will not send official US military personnel, but they are considering lifting the ban on "Military Contractors" – the nice term for mercenaries. CNN reports this. However, officials also told the network that President Joe Biden has not yet given the final approval for this. "We have not made a decision and it is premature to discuss it. The President is absolutely certain that he will not send US troops to Ukraine."
Mercenary Companies with Notorious Past
The Biden administration has placed value on Americans and especially US troops staying away from the front lines. On the Ukrainian side, there are numerous volunteers from various countries, whose financing is not spoken of officially. According to official accounts, they are following their conscience. American security companies – "Private military companies" – could take this engagement to another level. In particular, after the second Iraq War, they actively participated in the occupation of the country and relieved the US military in the process. However, the reputation of these companies was also ruined.
Among them is Blackwater, the most famous company active in this field. During the gold rush of the occupation period, these companies shamelessly enriched themselves. To their account go overruns and war crimes. The "Iraq War Documents Leak" from WikiLeaks and Julian Assange brought the crimes of the mercenaries to light. Blackwater later chose the innocent name Academi. At the beginning, these "Contractors" were still praised as a panacea for a robust foreign policy, but they later disappeared into the gray zone, where mercenaries usually operate.
Maintenance of US War Equipment in Ukraine
CNN reports that mercenaries will be responsible for the maintenance and training in the US-supplied military equipment. This can happen far from the front lines. These security companies have extensive networks and are capable of covering the assumed task long-term and systematically. They would not be dependent on the enthusiasm of volunteers, which has waned in the third year of the war. The mercenaries would work with US companies and under their command. This makes them interesting for specialists who would not trust local commanders with their lives.
Kiev Needs More
The problem is that if the ban is broken, it is unlikely that it will remain at maintenance and training. The need in Ukraine is too great. Besides sending them as a closed combat unit to the front, except for commandos, it is unlikely to happen. The losses in the hot zones are too great. In Iraq or elsewhere, these companies have fought against insurgents who were significantly weaker. In Ukraine, they would face the Russian army, which is superior in terms of naked firepower.
However, Ukraine urgently needs trainers for the mobilized. And unlike in the first years, military training for the not entirely voluntary conscripts must take place on their own territory. In Germany, recruits could simply refuse to go to the front after training.
Pilots for the F-16
The need for pilots for the F-16 is particularly acute. The Ukrainian Air Force currently has only a few pilots qualified to fly this type of aircraft. The US could provide mercenary pilots to fill this gap. This would not only help Ukraine, but also the US, as it would prevent the F-16s from being sent to other countries, which could potentially end up in the hands of adversaries. The mercenary pilots would be paid well and would have the opportunity to gain valuable combat experience. This could make them attractive to private military companies, which could then offer them lucrative contracts for future conflicts.
Military Contractors could be among the biggest solutions for Ukraine's problems: the F-16. Kiev and the western supporting states are pinning great hopes on the deployment of the combat jets. They are supposed to challenge Russian air superiority at the front, end the use of glide bombs, and mitigate Putin's air force losses. For the jets, there are significant commitments, but who will wait for them? And more importantly, who will fly them?
The training of Ukrainian personnel is lengthy, and it's not possible to train a large number of people simultaneously. Therefore, there is a risk that the jet will only trickle in at the front. However, security firms can manage to find a large number of ex-engineers and former pilots and recruit significant quantities among them. These firms appeal not only to patriotism but also convince with money. Every employee can also rely on the fact that the payment will be made.
Of course, the systematic use of US Military Contractors – even if of private nature – from Russia's perspective raises the suspicion of proxy war. The "US Contractors" can, however, trigger a dangerous dynamic of their own. For the Russians, they are legitimate targets of high priority. If they manage to kill larger quantities of contract military personnel, the White House will have a hard time denying that the US is involved.
Source: CNN
- The Biden administration is considering lifting the ban on Military Contractors, also known as mercenaries, to support Ukraine, according to CNN.
- American security companies, such as Blackwater, played a significant role in the Iraq War, though their reputation was tarnished by overruns and war crimes.
- If the ban is lifted, mercenaries might be responsible for maintaining and training in US-supplied military equipment in Ukraine, working under US command.
- The need in Ukraine is so great that these mercenaries might be pressed into combat situations, such as piloting F-16s, due to the Ukrainian Air Force's lack of qualified pilots.
- The use of US Military Contractors could raise suspicions of a proxy war from Russia's perspective, as they could be legitimate targets of high priority.
- The systematic use of private military companies by the US carries the risk of initiating a dangerous dynamic, potentially drawing the US more directly into the conflict if contract military personnel are killed.
