Outsourcing warfare in the Mediterranean

Abstract

The growing usage of mercenaries and proxies by Russia, Turkey, and the Arab Gulf states in ongoing Mediterranean conflicts such as the Libyan and Syrian civil wars highlight the changing state of warfare. It is no longer just about who has the most effective artillery, navy, or fighter jets. Instead, the future of warfare consists of battles fought by mercenaries and proxies, and is now a business too as evidenced by the usage of private military companies (PMCs). While it may initially seem appealing for the United States to use mercenaries and proxies in order to protect its regional interests and influence, there are considerable risks in employing both. Instead, other avenues such as establishing regional partners, implementing security partnerships, and collaborating with allies may be more pragmatic options. Concerns should be raised regarding the evolving forms, trends, and manifestations of mercenary and proxy-related activities around the Mediterranean. These developments, we believe, have contributed to the exacerbation of the aforementioned conflicts and resulted in the Mediterranean becoming the global epicentre of mercenary and proxy warfare. How these intervening countries decide to act moving forward will determine the outcome of the ongoing Mediterranean conflicts.