French forces in Afghanistan
French forces in Afghanistan were involved in the
- the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), carried out by NATO on a United Nations mandate
- "War on Terror.
French forces have contributed to both chapters in several national operations:
- Opération Pamir with the ISAF,
- Opération Héraklèsfor the naval and air components
- Opération Épidote for training of the Afghan Army
- Opération Arès for special operations within "Operation Enduring Freedom"
As of 1 November 2009, 4,000 French personnel were deployed in Afghanistan, including the air support of Combined Task Force 150 in the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, 150 gendarmes were deployed in late 2009.
Operations in 2009 alone cost 450 million Euros, amounting to over half the 870 million Euros devoted to military operations abroad. A total of 86 servicemen were killed.[1][2][3]
In January 2012, after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French soldiers in eastern Afghanistan, French president Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to suspend French operations in Afghanistan due to the fragging incident.[4] The newly elected president François Hollande, announced in June 2012 that he would be withdrawing 2,000 of France's 3,400 troops in Afghanistan, leaving 1,400 for training and logistics.[5] In November 2012, France's combat troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan, leaving just the logistical contingent in the country.[6]
Mission
The official mission statement for
secure zones under their responsibility as to allow the Afghan State to rebuild itself, allow development operations, and allow the deployment of the services provided by the Afghan State (...) [and] allow a rise in power of the Afghan Army
French forces support anti-drug operations, though destruction of opium fields and capture of dealers is not part of their mission. When prisoners are captured during combat, they are surrendered to Afghan authorities.
History
The attacks of 11 September 2001, triggered Article 5 of the NATO treaty, stating that an attack against any member would be regarded as a direct attack on all parties. Although France was not bound by this clause, it pledged armed forces at the side of its allies.[7]
Legal context and UN mandate
On 20 December 2001, Resolution 1386 of the United Nations Security Council created the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Its mandate is
to allow it, as resources permit, to support the Afghan Transitional Authority and its successors in the maintenance of security in areas of Afghanistan outside of Kabul and its environs, so that the Afghan Authorities as well as the personnel of the United Nations and other international civilian personnel engaged, in particular, in reconstruction and humanitarian efforts, can operate in a secure environment, and to provide security assistance for the performance of other tasks in support of the Bonn Agreement – United Nations Security Council Resolution 1510.[8]
Opération Héraklès
From 21 October 2001,
On 21 November 2001, the aircraft carrier
On 27 December 2001,
On 18 February 2002, a
In March 2002, a rescue unit was created under the name of RESAL (équipe de Recherche Et Secours AéroLarguée) to help pilots should they be downed over Afghanistan. In March, eight Super Étendards and six
There are many examples of commitment from our good ally, France, who has deployed nearly one-fourth of its army and navy to support Operation Enduring Freedom.[10]
From February, Charles De Gaulle and John C. Stennis exchanged aircraft in joint exercises.
Land deployment
On 15 November 2001, the first French soldiers of the 21st RIMA landed in Afghanistan, Mazar-E-Sharif and North of Kabul. They amounted to 640 men, of whom 400 were deployed under the aegis in the ISAF.[11]
On 11 August 2003, NATO took over command of the 3500-strong ISAF. By that time, the French contingent amounted to 500 men, one seventh of the force. France also assumed command of the Kabul region.
Special forces activities: Opération Épidote
In May 2003, during the G8 summit in Evian, President Chirac ordered Special Forces be sent to Southern Afghanistan. 200 men of the
The year 2003 marked the beginning of Opération Épidote, which aimed at training elements of the Afghan Army. The mission lasted three years, during which 3,810 soldiers were trained.[13]
From 9 August 2004 to 11 February 2005, the Eurocorps was put in charge for the ISAF6 mission.
In February 2010, one Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT), composed of 70 French soldiers and a number of Afghan troops participated in the NATO-led Operation Moshtarak in Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan.[14]
First casualties
French Forces sustained their first fatality on 31 August 2004 when corporal Murat Yagci, of the
The first combat fatalities occurred on 17 September 2005, when a makeshift landmine killed Corporal Cédric Crupel, of the
Reinforcements of the expeditionary corps and the Surobi Ambush
By December 2008, the French contingent in Afghanistan had grown to 1,600 men, with 4000 more involved in the theatre of operations.
In August 2008, nine French soldiers were killed and 21 wounded by guerilla forces in the
On 22 September 2008, a 343 to 210 vote by the
On 4 September 2009, Corporal Johan Naguin, of the
On 31 October 2009, French general Marcel Druart transferred command of the region of Kabul to Turkish general Levent Çolak. The next day, French forces in Afghanistan were organised under the Aegis of the Brigade La Fayette.
Order of battle
The total French forces deployed on the theatre of operations, including Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and the Indian Ocean, amounts to 30,000 men. 23,200 have served in Afghanistan itself.[20] Furthermore, 150 gendarmes are training the Afghan police.
Army
The
Since 1 November 2009, the French deployment has been deeply reorganised, though complements are supposedly unchanged:
- geographically, most of the French units were transferred to Kapisa and Surobi, joining them in a neighbourhood where they can support each other. The headquarters is in an outpost near Nijrab.[21]
- operationally, responsibility for Surobi district has been transferred from GTIA Kapisa under a single Regional command. Furthermore, a "Brigade La Fayette", under US command, was created to regroup both GTIA into a single hierarchy.
Hence, the two French battalions are now grouped both geographically and operationally, under the aegis of the Brigade La Fayette.
The GTIA have both been reinforced by one additional infantry company, bringing the effectives to around 3000 men as of 1 November 2009. They have now the same complement;
Summer of 2009 saw a significant beefing up in aerial capabilities, with 3
They add to the 6 helicopters already deployed.Eight 155mm CAESAR self-propelled howitzers have been sent to Afghanistan. Two are deployed in each outpost held by the French, and the remaining four are kept in Kabul as a reserve. The howitzers deployed in the field can provide fire support to French troops as they operate in neighbouring valleys, complementing the 120mm MO-120-RT-61 mortars that they bring with.[25]
Six "
- Five teams with the Afghan 201st Army Corps in Kapisa and Surobi, amounting to 230 men:
- 1 team with the headquarters of the Army Corps and of its 1st Brigade
- 2 teams with an infantry kandakwithin the 1st Brigade
- 1 team with a support kandak of the 1st Brigade
- 1 team with a logistic kandak of the 1st Brigade
- One 70-man team with the 41st kandak of the 4th Brigade in the Afghan 205th Army Corps. This team, deployed on 2e REI.
Opération Épidote employs 60 men [28] who train Afghan officers. In the year 2009, 5000 Afghan officers were taught there.[26]
About 20 instructors train 6 commando kandaks.[29] At least two kandaks have been formed thus far.[26]
Air Force
As of April 2009, the
- 6 attack planes, based in Kandahar
- 3 Mirage 2000D, since 2005
- 3 Mirage F1 CR, since 20 May 2009. They relieved twenty-three Rafale that were present from 2007.[30]
- 3
- 3 .
- 2
In the same theatre of operation but outside Afghanistan, 172 men are deployed in
Gendarmerie
150 French gendarmes take part in the 500-man European Gendarmerie Force contingent in Afghanistan.
Two Mobile Gendarmerie squadrons, from Chauny and Satory, are scheduled to deploy for six months from early 2010 to train the Afghan police.[35][36]
Military Fuel Service
The
Notes and references
- ^ Number of fatalities among Western coalition soldiers* involved in the execution of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2001 to 2019
- ^ French lost on the website of the "Ministère de la Défense" (French Ministry of Defence)
- ^ Erlanger, Steven; Rubin, Alissa J. (21 January 2012). "France ponders early pullout from Afghanistan". Boston Globe. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ Steven Erlanger; Alissa J. Rubin (20 January 2012). "France Weighs Pullout After 4 of Its Soldiers Are Killed". New York Times. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
- ^ USA Today, 8 June 2012, Bomber kills 4 French troop in Afghanistan
- ^ "French combat troops withdraw from Afghan war". Reuters. 20 November 2012.
- ^ "Le Traité de l'Atlantique nord et ses membres". Archived from the original on 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ^ UN Resolution 1510
- ^ (in French) Afghanistan: les 80 missions des Mirage IV, fin 2001[permanent dead link], Secret Défense, 9 May 2009
- ^ (in English) President Thanks World Coalition for Anti-Terrorism Efforts, White House, 11 March 2002
- ^ (in French) Chronologie de l'engagement français en Afghanistan Archived 2009-12-01 at the Wayback Machine, Le Point, 11 Février 2009
- ^ (in French) Afghanistan: bilan mitigé pour les forces spéciales françaises Archived 2009-08-07 at the Wayback Machine, 22 December 2007, Secret Défense, Jean-Dominique Merchet
- ^ (in French) COMMISSION DE LA DÉFENSE NATIONALE ET DES FORCES ARMÉES Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine, 10 October 2006
- ^ "Plusieurs dizaines de soldats français participent à l'opération Mushtarak" (in French). AFP. 2010-02-13.
- ^ (in French) Afghanistan, les 28 morts français, Le mamouth, 24 mai 2009
- ^ (in French) Hommage à Bayonne au soldat tué en Afghanistan, 22/09/2005, Site des Troupes de Marine
- ^ Les forces françaises en Afghanistan : quelque 1.600 hommes Archived 2012-12-03 at archive.today, Agence France-Presse, 22 December 2008
- ^ En l’air avec des étoilés, Mars Attaque, 12 June 2009
- ^ Débat sur l’Afghanistan à l’Assemblée nationale : les députés se prononcent pour le maintien des forces françaises, Ministry of Defence
- ^ a b dispositif français pour l'Afghanistan au 15/06/09, ministry of Defence
- ^ 24/09/09 - Afghanistan : déploiement d’un centre opérationnel sur la FOB Nijrab, Ministry of Defence
- ^ BATFRA used to have 100 more men than GTIA Kapisa
- ^ Jean-Marc Tanguy, La cavalerie double, Le mamouth, 11 July 2009
- ^ Renforts en Afghanistan : la France va envoyer trois Tigres et deux Cougars (actualisé) Archived 2014-10-20 at the Wayback Machine, Jean-Dominique Merchet, Secret Défense
- ^ (in French) Jean-Dominique Merchet, La France devrait envoyer huit canons Caesar en Afghanistan Archived 2009-07-01 at the Wayback Machine, 29 June 2009
- ^ a b c French commitment to counter terrorism and to the Coalition Archived 2009-08-25 at the Wayback Machine, United States Central Command
- ^ (in French) Certification de la 1ère brigade en bonne voie, 18alexterieurafghanistan.blogspot.com
- ^ Épidote : la formation des officiers d'état-major afghans, Ministry of Defence, 30 June 2009
- ^ Commando School (vidéo), Ministry of Defence, 10 April 2008
- ^ Afghanistan : relève des Rafale par trois Mirage F1 CR, Ministry of Defence, 20 May 2009
- ^ premier vol opérationnel du SIDM, Ministry of Defence, 18 February 2009
- ^ Harfang, opérationnel en Afghanistan, SIRPA Air
- ^ Dans le secret des drones de l'armée de l'air Archived 2010-03-28 at the Wayback Machine, Le Point, 18 April 2009
- ^ Air Actualités, n° 520, April 2009
- Nord Éclair, 12 June 2009
- La voix du nord, 10 June 2009
- ^ Afghanistan : le détachement du SEA en Asie centrale. Archived 2009-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Defence
Bibliography
- ISBN 2-911218-75-2
- ISBN 978-2-84724-219-5