Watch Private Armies

The rise of private military contractors has irrevocably transformed the nature of war. They earn four times more than regular soldiers, act with impunity and - in Iraq - outnumber all non-US soldiers combined. This eye-opening documentary follows the training and deployment of these men, from skidding around a racing track and practising escaping from kidnappers to dodging bullets in Baghdad.

Private Armies is a 2007 documentary with a runtime of 54 minutes.