Case Studies

Aegis in Iraq – Enabling Reconstruction

Since June 2004, Aegis has been under contract to the US Department of Defense to provide security support services to the Project and Contracting Office (PCO), responsible for managing the reconstruction programme in Iraq. Known as Project Matrix, it is a reconstruction–enabling operation that sits at the core of the Coalition’s Nation–building endeavours. It harnesses the support of Coalition Forces to the reconstruction effort, thus reducing to a minimum friction between the civilian and military operations, and provides those engaged in reconstruction with a situational awareness they would not otherwise have had.

To achieve this, Aegis has established a Security Framework of Reconstruction Operations Centres (ROCs) throughout Iraq. There are six sited alongside regional Coalition Military headquarters and a National Reconstruction Operations Centre in Baghdad. Through these, Aegis maintains a situational awareness of logistical movement and reconstruction security operations, allows sharing of intelligence among security forces and reconstruction contractors, effects co–ordination and liaison between reconstruction and military activity and provides threat assessments and intelligence to contractors. The ROCs also provide continuous information on the viability of road movement throughout Iraq, which is tracked by a system of transponders, complementary to the US Military’s ‘Blue Force Tracker’. In the event of an emergency, whether caused by Insurgent attack or vehicle breakdown, Quick Reaction Forces are dispatched by helicopter or road.

As well as security advice, coordination and emergency backup to Prime Contactors, Aegis supplies a static guardforce to protect the headquarters of the PCO and US Corps of Engineers and a small close protection and vehicle escort capability to provide mobile security for journeys throughout Iraq to visit reconstruction projects.

In addition to its primary tasks, Aegis also conducts a self–funded civil affairs programme. Its aim is to facilitate reconstruction in areas where the local people are hostile and to fill unforeseen gaps in PCO–funded projects. Activities such as inoculation programmes in Nasiriyah and donations of school books throughout the country, build substantial returns of goodwill. Much of this work is funded through the Aegis Foundation.

Aegis also provides a number of expatriate–led and Iraqi–manned Reconstruction Liaison Teams that routinely travel the length and breadth of the country to monitor the progress of reconstruction work subcontracted to Iraqi building companies. Typically, this involves week–long expeditions to remote areas including along the Syrian and Iranian borders.

Supporting the Elections

In October 2005, Aegis was contracted by the UN Office for Project Support in support of the UN Electoral Assistance division (UNEAD) and the Independent Electoral Commission Iraq (IECI) to support the successful constitutional referendum in October and the General Election in December 2005. The requirement was to provide a mixed expatriate and Iraqi mobile security component to support electoral infrastructure inspection and liaison with the Governorate Electoral Officers and to provide static site security teams to electoral logistic sites in all 18 Governorate capitals throughout Iraq.

Commercial Contracts

In separate contracts, Aegis also provides security to a number of significant Blue Chip companies operating in Iraq.

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Aegis Specialist Risk Management

Case Studies

Aegis in Iraq – Enabling Reconstruction

Supporting the Elections

Commercial Contracts