ArmorGroup is a private security company (PSC) that provides defensive protective security, security training, security consultancy and weapons reduction and mine action services to first world national governments, international peace and security agencies and multinational corporations operating in hostile environments due to diminished law and order, collapsed infrastructure or a high risk of terrorism. For more information on the Group please explore this website further or visit the media information section here.

ArmorGroup employs over 8,500 highly trained and experienced employees, comprising some 40 different nationalities.

ArmorGroup has an established reputation as an industry leader based largely on the quality of its people. Our stringent approach to recruitment ensures that our strong reputation for high quality people is maintained.

If you believe you have the qualities required to work for ArmorGroup please click here.

ArmorGroup has five main service lines:

Protective security services - devising and implementing solutions to complex security issues in high risk environments. For more information click here.

Security consultancy services - Kidnap, ransom and extortion prevention and response, comprehensive security surveys, contingency and business continuity planning, crisis management information and reports using our global & in-theatre security experts. For more information click here.

Security training services - Around 100 experienced instructors, delivering numerous separate courses to over 5,000 students a year through our six dedicated training facilities and our mobile training teams. For more information click here.

Weapons reduction & mine clearance services - 10 years experience, in 24 countries, in surveying, clearing, checking and raising awareness of mines and other unexploded ordnance. For more information click here.

Develpment, humanitarian and reconstruction services - we’ve supported over 53 missions in over 30 countries from Afghanistan to Sudan for a wide range of international peace and security organisations. For more information click here.

ArmorGroup has 38 offices in 27 countries across the Middle East, Africa, North and South America, Russia, the other CIS and Asia. For contact details of our offices please visit our home page and use the drop down menu on the right hand side.

We work for a wide range of organisations:

Multinational corporations such as Bechtel, Exxon Mobil, AUL and Tomen

National government departments and agencies:

- UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Department of International Development and HM Customs & Revenue

- US Departments of Defense, State and AID

- Japanese Ministry of Development and Reconstruction

International peace and security agencies such as the United Nations, the EU and CARE.

There is currently no statutory regulation of UK or US PSCs. However, ArmorGroup has a clearly defined, written ethical policy. We believe that our procedures and ethical standards are the highest in the industry and we work diligently to ensure this remains the case. We also have stringent procedures in place to ensure our employees act at all times within the relevant international and local legal frameworks.

ArmorGroup believes regulation is the key to industry recognition and is co-operating closely with the UK Government, the SIA and the BAPSC to introduce suitable regulation for the industry. ArmorGroup is also an acknowledged market leader in the demand for industry standards and regulation, having published and widely disseminated the first concrete proposals for regulation of its industry - “Regulation – an ArmorGroup perspective“ - in September 2004.

For more information on our ethical and regulatory work please click here.

The ArmorGroup protective security business originated from Defence Systems Limited (”DSL”), a company formed in 1981, which provided protective security services principally to US embassies and oil and gas companies in Africa and the Middle East.

In 1997 DSL was acquired by Armor Holdings Inc., a company quoted on the NYSE. The security training side of the business joined the Group in 2001 when International Training, Inc. was also acquired by Armor Holdings Inc.

Many of the current management team, supported by Granville Baird Capital Partners and Barclays plc, carried out an MBO of the Group in 2003 and then listed the Group on the London Stock Exchange in 2004.

ArmorGroup was acquired by G4S plc, the world’s leading international security solutions group, for £44 million on 7 May 2008.

For more information on our history please click here.

Events over recent years have highlighted the growing risks facing international organisations, whether private or public, and the increasing need to protect their people and infrastructure assets. Therefore, security for personnel and facilities has now become an integral, accepted and expected aspect of public and commercial life.

The addressable market for ArmorGroup’s services in 2006 was estimated to be US$2.6 billion (AMR International Ltd) of which Iraq accounted for approximately US$1.4 billion with further growth expected.

For more information on the market please click here.

ArmorGroup is not considered a ‘mercenary’ grouping by any responsible pressure group, national or international authority.

ArmorGroup is a leading commercial provider of defensive protective security and specialist training services, as well as weapons reduction & mine clearance services.

The company’s own clearly defined, written ethics policy expressly forbids the conduct of any activity that might be labelled ‘mercenary’ and our activities clearly fall outside the definition of ‘mercenaries’ maintained by the UN and the popular understanding of the term held by the Governments and public of the United States and United Kingdom.

The vast majority of our global workforce, outside of those in Iraq and Afghanistan where the conditions necessitate it, are not armed.

For more information on our regulatory and ethical standards please click here and for our Corporate Social Responsibility policies please click here.

A Private Security Company (PSC) may provide commercial security services in a hostile environment and may necessarily be armed to do so, but its role is confined to that normally performed by a commercial security provider.

A PSC supports and, where appropriate, supplements the services provided by public sector security services.

A PSC’s actions are essentially “defensive” and it does not replace the military.

A Private Military Company (PMC) is usually prepared to go further and may perform services which ‘replace’ the military.