The Role of the Private Sector in Warfare

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western states not only find themselves in a changed geopolitical environment but have also learned important lessons about the role of the private sector in wartime. Ranging from the countering cyber-threats, ensuring continuity of communications, and the provision of space-based capabilities, the private sector has access to resources and expertise that states may not have themselves. Their capacity to augment national security risks making the private sector a target of hostile aggression. In his remarks to the IIEA, Franklin D. Kramer explores the changing role of the private sector in wartime crises and ensure that western states are prepared for future crises should they occur. Speaker bio: Franklin D. Kramer is a distinguished fellow and board director at the Atlantic Council. Kramer has served as a senior political appointee in two administrations, including as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. At the US Department of Defense, Kramer was in charge of the formulation and implementation of international defense and political-military policy, with worldwide responsibilities including NATO and Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.