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Executive Outcomes was a South African PMC founded in 1989 by Eeben Barlow, a former special forces officer. It operated in Angola and Sierra Leone, providing military training, equipment and services to local governments.
- Introduction
- History of Executive Outcomes
- Organisation
- Equipment
- Tactical-Operational Information
- The Future of Executive Outcomes
- Controversies of Executive Outcomes
- Frequently Asked Questions About Executive Outcomes
- Conclusion
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The birth of Executive Outcomes (EO) in 1989 and the figure of its founder, Lieutenant-Colonel Eeben Barlow, represent a watershed period in the history of PMCs. Indeed, the company’s military accomplishments in less than a decade of operativity are widely celebrated. The ability to organise and rapidly deploy an elite fighting force with nearly au...
Executive Outcomes was set up in 1989 by ex-SADF Lieutenant-Colonel Barlow as a small close corporation in South Africa to provide specialist covert training to SADF’s Special Forces (source) (source). However, it was only in 1993 that the firm rose to prominence when they carried out a successful operation to liberate the oil city of Soyo – Northe...
Originally, EO was registered as a close corporation based in Pretoria, South Africa. However, by 1993, Barlow had set up a UK firm under the name “Executive Outcomes Ltd” (source). In 1994, the holding Strategic Resource Corporation (SRC) was set up by Barlow. In a few years, EO had radically changed: from a small enterprise with just two managers...
The breadth of the operations undertaken by Executive Outcomes required the employment of varied military hardware. Indeed, EO units were required to sustain major operational roles. The company not only shouldered direct combat duties but it provided air capacity to transport, evacuate, and supply troops, conduct air-to-ground assault missions and...
Since its deployment to Soyo, Executive Outcomes understood that it had to apply its considerable military capabilities according to the concept of relentless offensive action to quickly defeat the enemy. This offensive and aggressive doctrine relies on the firm’s air mobile component. This ensures the rapid deployment of EO’s assault units with th...
As the company was recently revived, it is difficult to map out potential future scenarios. Indeed, EO has been particularly secretive about its current contracts. This is partly due to its tormented past with negative publicity from the South African media. Thus, it is not surprising that the announcement of the rebirth of Executive Outcomes has b...
Critics from academia and journalism advanced accusations that Executive Outcomes could no longer be considered an independent military company. Allegedly, EO included UK-based companies active in the mineral and energy sectors under the leadership of Anthony Buckingham. These offices included Heritage Oil, Branch Energy, Branch Minerals, and Diamo...
8.1 Why are Executive Outcomes and Eeben Barlow considered the grandfathers of modern PMCs?
The importance of EO, and its founder, for shaping modern understandings of warfare, African conflicts, and statehood cannot be understated. The company was the first of its kind and the model for all the PMCs that followed in the years after its end. Its ability to constantly field a several-hundred-strong unit in different theatres of war with almost autonomous capabilities ranging from logistics and intelligence to ground and air support changed the dynamics of conflicts in Africa. States...
8.2 Why did Executive Outcomes disband after having endured a decade of strong criticism?
Since its opening, Executive Outcomes has always drawn outcry among the public and the international community. EO raised the question of whether a private corporation should be able to provide full combat capabilities to states. Furthermore, the company was constantly accused by the media of reasoning by profit to exploit local resources, lack of accountability, and conflicting interests (source). Despite some opaque business connections, the claims remained largely unproven. In his book “Ex...
8.3 What made Executive Outcomes so successful vis-a-vis national militaries and multinational coalitions?
Executive Outcomes could deploy faster and with much lower political costs. Their chain of command was clearer and smoother; EO ensured higher compatibility of military equipment and training. Additionally, it recruited highly skilled combat veterans. This translated into a willingness to deploy overwhelming force on its enemy without the political constraints of governments and the UN. Finally, they are less expensive than using national or multinational foreign forces (source).
Since its rise to publicity, Executive Outcomes has been the point of reference for innumerable private military firms. With their actions, they (unwillingly) brought the term ‘mercenary’ into the public debate, and redefined the boundaries between states and corporations. Despite the controversies that followed EO until its termination and beyond,...
Learn about the rise, fall and rebirth of Executive Outcomes, a private military company founded by Eeben Barlow in 1989. Explore its achievements, methods, organisation and criticism in Africa and beyond.
Learn about Executive Outcomes, a private military company that operated in Africa and other regions from 1989 to 1999. Find out its history, missions, controversies, and connections to South African politics and business.
Nov 27, 2020 · Eeben Barlow, the founder of the controversial private military contractor Executive Outcomes, announced its revival after 22 years. He claimed that some African governments requested his assistance and that he would expose media and academic lies about his company.
May 1, 2014 · The nature of executive leadership and the role of CEOs, top management teams, and boards of directors in producing organizational-level strategic, culture, and performance outcomes are each...
Jun 1, 1998 · This article examines the controversial role of Executive Outcomes (EO), a group of ex-South African soldiers, in providing security for African governments. It explores EO's history, effectiveness, loyalty, and future prospects in the post-Cold War era.
Executive Outcomes is still regarded as the gold standard by which similar companies are judged, and it is the only private military company that never failed in a contract or abandoned a client...
