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A paramilitary is a semi-militarized force whose organizational structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not included as part of a state's formal armed forces.[1]

Contents

1 Legality 2 Types

2.1 Examples of paramilitary units

3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links

Legality[edit] Under the law of war, a state may incorporate a paramilitary organization or armed agency (such as a national police, a private volunteer militia) into its combatant armed forces. The other parties to a conflict have to be notified thereof.[2] Though a paramilitary is not a military force, it is usually equivalent to a military's light infantry force in terms of intensity, firepower, and organizational structure. A paramilitary may also commonly fall under the command of a military, even despite not being part of the military or play an assisting role for the military in times of war. Types[edit] Depending on the standards used, "paramilitaries" may include:

Irregular military
Irregular military forces: militias, guerrillas, insurgents, terrorists, and so forth The auxiliary forces of a state's military: National Guard, Presidential Guard, Republican Guard, State Guard, Home Guard, Royal Guard, and Imperial Guard Some police forces, such as police SWAT
SWAT Teams, or auxiliary police and Indonesia's Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) Gendarmeries, such as Egyptian Central Security Forces
Central Security Forces and Russia's National Guard Border guards, such as Russia's Border Guard Service, Australian Border Force and India's Border Security Force The United States' Federal Protective Forces, Some fire departments, including the U.S. Fire Department Security forces of ambiguous military status: internal troops, railroad guards or railway troops Semi-militarized law enforcement personnel, such as SWAT
SWAT teams in the United States and a number of other countries Foreign volunteers Youth Military
Military Cadet Organisations, such as Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the term is often restricted to the various armed groups involved in the Northern Ireland Troubles, such as the Ulster Volunteer Force
Ulster Volunteer Force or the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Volunteer Defense Corps (Thailand)

Examples of paramilitary units[edit]

List of paramilitary organizations List of defunct paramilitary organizations

See also[edit]

Military
Military history portal

Category:Rebel militia groups Weimar paramilitary groups List of Serbian paramilitary formations Militarization of police Panamanian Public Forces Fourth-generation warfare Private army Death squad Violent non-state actor

References[edit]

^ "paramilitary". Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. June 2011 [online edition; original published in June 2005]. Retrieved 2011-09-13. Designating, of, or relating to a force or unit whose function and organization are analogous or ancillary to those of a professional military force, but which is not regarded as having professional or legitimate status. ^ "Customary IHL - Section B. Incorporation of paramilitary or armed law enforcement agencies into armed forces". Icrc.org. Retrieved 2013-07-27.