shadow armies
- mercenariesSoldiers paid to fight
- covertIntentionally concealed
- insurgentsThose fighting established authority
- militiasCivilian defense forces
- proxyAuthorized substitute
clandestine · operatives · paramilitary · guerrillas · black ops · sleeper cells · underground · invisible · phantom · hidden · warfare · puppeteers · deniable · contractors · saboteurs · infiltrators · spies · resistance
legitimacy and visibility
shadow armiesstanding army
Continuously maintained military force
regular army · professional army · peacekeeping forces · national guard · home guard