Blackfire Security is perhaps one of the largest private military companies in the world. Although their designation remains somewhat confusing, as some call these types of companies private security, others as military contractors, while the most detractors directly label them as mercenaries. Living in a space that goes between the legal and the illegal, these types of organizations have been used by numerous multinationals and countries.

The history of Blackfire has its origins in a man, its founder, Emeret King, an American of British ancestors, a former career military man and head of an important business conglomerate in the military industry. It was at the end of the 90s when he made the decision to create a subsidiary of his main arms company aimed exclusively at private security, both for VIPs and other companies. Its rise and influence are such, thanks to the contacts of its president and founder, that the company soon goes from small contracts to signing its first collaboration agreement with the United States government to provide support in the invasion of Afghanistan first and, later, in the second Gulf War.

In 2005, Blackfire already has an extensive soldier training camp in Massachusetts, as well as delegations on five continents. In the following years its expansion continued unstoppable, drawing on professional soldiers, both regular and elite units, of different nationalities. All of them attracted by better working conditions and astronomical salaries. In 2008, Forbes magazine published an article estimating that Blackfire’s revenues exceeded $1 billion a year. Mainly thanks to its work in Iraq and Afghanistan, where some analysts pointed out that it could have more than 40,000 troops deployed. Most of them local hired troops, but the rest, about 10,000, all private Blackfire soldiers brought in from outside.

By 2011, Blackfire not only had two additional training centers, one in Africa and the other in Asia, but had expanded its logistical capabilities with the acquisition of all types of military vehicles. Thus, Blackfire commandos have not only light vehicles, but also armored vehicles and a growing fleet of transport and attack helicopters. In this sense, Blackfire relies on both North American, Russian and Chinese suppliers. So in their deployments it is not difficult to see a convoy made up of Humvees jeeps, Russian T-90 tanks and flown over by the new Chinese Z-10 attack helicopters.

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Blackfire has undoubtedly become a weapons monster, with great capacity for action and reaction throughout the globe. Recent rumors suggest that it could even have its own strategic projection ship from which to deploy fighter jets or helicopters anywhere in the world in a matter of a few days. But neither the company has confirmed it nor has anyone been able to prove it, except for a photo in a naval shipyard showing the construction of one of which the company responsible for its construction did not want to reveal who the final customer is.

However, Blackfire’s work may not be as glorious and efficient as the governments that have hired the company constantly remind us. Since their first missions, Blackfire operatives have been involved in controversy and controversy due to their brutality, lack of scruples and dozens, if not hundreds, of unclarified incidents in which there have been civilian casualties.

There have been several journalists who have led authentic crusades against Blackfire, but they have never managed to carry out legal action against the company. Either due to the judges’ rejection, or due to the disappearance of evidence or accidental accidents of the main witnesses.

What does circulate on the Internet is an increasingly growing tide of journalists and bloggers who launch all kinds of accusations towards the impunity of Blackfire and its darker side. Thus they argue that they are behind the deaths of hundreds of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan or that they have a very important role in several Central African conflicts where they serve warlords to control numerous diamond and gold mines. Some say they have seen Blackfire operatives commanding platoons of child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

For the moment, all these complaints have been of no use, both Blackfire and its founder Emeret King enjoy the support of many nations that have seen in them their way of saving face before public opinion in participating in armed conflicts. A clear example of this has been that while governments announced the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, they simultaneously hired thousands of Blackfire troops and other private contractors to replace their armies. On the one hand, the nations satisfied their citizens by making them believe that they were no longer involved, while on the other they continued to assert their presence in these invaded countries.

Those most critical of Blackfire warn of the danger of giving so much power and freedom to an organization of this type, since no one guarantees what the real agenda it follows is. Be that as it may, governments and multinationals are going to continue using their services because their efficiency continues to compensate for any bad press they have.

After all, the Blackfire motto established by Emeret King of ‘Strike First’ leaves no doubt about the philosophy of this company, willing to do anything to achieve enormous economic benefits, regardless of the means to achieve them.