Abstract
Chapter 2 identifies the components of the conventional forces norm that set what states do and consequently helps to define the commercial and operational limitations of PMSCs. It offers a background presentation of norm characteristics and their importance in order for the reader to realize specifically what states, as members of a club, should possess militarily. At play are both the perceived instrumentality of technology and the desire for prestige amongst states. In a related manner, also evident here is the increasing importance of machines rather than labour in the application of violence. This chapter builds on this by revealing the trend of capital/machines both compensating for reduced human involvement and protecting those human beings – military personnel – that are in harm’s way. The chapter concludes that the conventional forces norm and its associated trends are not likely to go away quickly. Militaries are unlikely to become more labour-intensive in terms of the application of violence (as opposed to supporting the machines used to apply violence).
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Notes
- 1.
Some studies have examined specifically the character of cross-national adoption of military technique, processes, and organization (Farrell and Terriff 2002).
- 2.
Many of these individuals were not French. Please see the next chapter which concerns, in part, mercenaries.
- 3.
Certainly, this capacity varied over time and across states. In regards to navies, for instance, whereas the Bank of England served as the source of credit to finance public forces, France lacked a similar central bank to cover the considerable expense of ship procurement, operations, and maintenance. Timelines and expectations were therefore different (McNeill 1982, p. 180).
- 4.
This book employs the terms “weapons system” and “machine” synonymously.
- 5.
This is not to suggest absolute uniformity in emphasis across technological categories amongst states. Reasons relating to social attitudes, geostrategic factors, and relative capabilities (i.e., strategic culture) inform degrees of emphasis across weapon types (e.g., tanks versus aircraft) or operational milieus (e.g., air versus sea) (O’Connell 1983, p. 450; Finlan 2008, p. 97). Nevertheless, while there may be national preferences, there is a common form that is generally expected amongst states.
- 6.
Regardless of strategic circumstance or financial capability, most of the world’s states possess tanks in their arsenals (Globalfirepower.com 2015).
- 7.
There would be additional costs for equipping, maintaining, and deploying either option.
- 8.
- 9.
In fact, there are even some arguments about hesitancy in employing special operations forces because of their dually related rarity and high level of expertise (Carmola 2010, p. 93).
- 10.
Contemporary studies on “risk transfer warfare” capture this movement towards technological solutions (Carmola 2010, p. 84).
- 11.
In fact, indirect fire, standardized during World War One, has been termed part of the “Modern Style of Warfare” (Bailey 1996).
- 12.
Many of these arguments also focus on how alternative formulations might lead to a more peaceful international society should the emphasis be on territorial defence rather than on offensive-related strategies and requirements. That slant is beyond the requirements of this study.
- 13.
For instance, the regime of Siaka Stevens (1971–1985) in Sierra Leone limited each soldier to one bullet annually. Joseph Momoh (Stevens’ successor) was also fearful of a coup; he equipped the armed forces mostly with defective G3 rifles made in Nigeria.
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Spearin, C. (2017). Conventional Forces Norm. In: Private Military and Security Companies and States . New Security Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54903-3_2
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