EN
Since the end of the Cold War, there has been an exponential growth in the use of private military companies. Few have debated the long-term consequences outsourcing of security holds for themilitary profession and the work of soldiers. The first section of this article outlines the evolution of military outsourcing. The second part focuses on how outsourcing affects the armed forces’ ability to retain monopoly over their ‘‘own’’ knowledge and skills base, and how it affects their autonomy and the work of soldiers. The conclusion is reached that growth and use of private security have affected the hegemony of the armed forces as providers of public security.