The New Privatization of War: When Tech Companies Become Strategic Actors in National Security

The debate on the privatization of war has long been associated with private military companies and mercenaries. Yet the most significant transformation of recent years lies elsewhere: the rise of major private technology firms as indispensable actors for national defense and security. SpaceX, through its Starlink satellite network, ensured the continuity of communications in Ukraine when traditional infrastructures had been severely compromised. Palantir, with its data analytics and artificial intelligence platforms, provides operational tools that are central to military planning and intelligence. These firms are no longer mere contractors: they have become strategic pillars with the ability to shape the very conduct of warfare. This marks a historic shift, in which the instruments of war are no longer the exclusive monopoly of states, but increasingly depend on global private entities.