Private security companies (PSCs) are at risk of becoming a weak link in efforts to prevent the diversion of weapons and materiel of war. Not only does diversion damage the reputations, operational performance, and profitability of PSCs, but it can also lead to destabilization on a local and national level.

This Research Note summarizes the findings of a chapter on floating armouries in the Small Arms Survey 2015: Weapons and the World. It presents basic information on the number of floating armouries operating in the HRA, their use, the number of arms they store, and an overview of some of the nascent—and potential—approaches to regulating floating armouries to ensure safe and secure practices.

The private security industry has come under considerable international scrutiny due to the highly publicized role it has played in Afghanistan and Iraq (2011).