French forces in Afghanistan
Encyclopedia
French forces in Afghanistan have been involved in the ongoing War in Afghanistan
since late 2001. They operate within two distinct frameworks:
French forces have contributed to both chapters in several national operations:
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. 76 men have been killed.
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.
of the United Nations Security Council
created the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF), under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
. Its mandate is
On 21 November 2001, the Charles De Gaulle and her battle group were deployed in the Indian Ocean to support NATO operations in Afghanistan. Dubbed Task Force 473, the group comprise the Charles De Gaulle, the frigates La Motte-Picquet, Jean de Vienne and Jean Bart, the tanker Meuse, the nuclear submarine Rubis, and aviso
Commandant Ducuing. On 19 December 2001, Dassault-Breguet Super Étendards aircraft carried out their first missions.
On 27 December 2001, Task Force 473 was integrated into a multinational force also comprising the aero-naval groups of the USS Theodore Roosevelt
and USS John C. Stennis, and the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi, amounting to over 100 ships in total.
On 18 February 2002, a Helios 2A
satellite spotted suspicious activities on the ground near Gardēz. After confirmation by two Super Étendards and by US special forces, Operation Anaconda
was launched by US and British forces. The attempted capture of wanted leaders ended in failure as the incomplete surrounding allowed them to flee.
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. It was disbanded in September 2002 without intervening.
In March, Super Étendards and six Mirage 2000 targeted several suspected Al Qaida targets on request from US forces, though some were denied for fear of hitting civilians. US President George Bush
stated
From February, the Charles De Gaulle and John C. Stennis exchanged aircraft in joint exercises.
On 11 August 2003, NATO took over command of the 3500-string ISAF. By that time, the French contingent amounted to 500 men, one seventh of the force. France also assumed command of the Kabul region, in rotation with Turkey and Italy.
operated on the ground from July 2003 to December 2006 near Spin Boldak
, and later at Jalalabad
. They sustained 7 killed..
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 trainees were formed..
From 9 August 2004 to 11 February 2005, the Eurocorps
was put in charge for the ISAF6 mission.
In February 2010, one OMLT composed of 70 French soldiers and a number of afghan troops participated to the NATO-led Operation Moshtarak in Hemland, Southern Afghanistan.
The first combat fatalities occurred on 17 September 2005, when a makeshift landmine killed Corporal Cédric Crupel, of the 1er RIMa, near Spin Boldak
.
In August 2008, nine French soldiers were killed and 21 wounded by guerrilla forces in the Uzbin Valley Ambush
, near Surobi. A tenth soldier died in a related road accident. These losses, the heaviest in France since the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing
, shocked the public opinion and prompted or accelerated deployment of items requested by the military, particularly drones and tele-operated turrets
for VABs.
On 22 September 2008, a 343 to 210 vote by the National Assembly of France authorised prolonged intervention in Afghanistan.. In March 2009, the French set on the offensive in Kapisa Province
, yielding the Battle of Alasay
; at the price of one killed, they routed a few hundreds of guerrilla and established two outposts for the Afghan Army.
On 4 September 2009, Corporal Johan Naguin, of the 3e RIMa, was killed by a makeshift landmine; Chief corporal Thomas Rousselle, of the 3e REI, died of his wounds two days later, and eight others were wounded. On 27 September, a storm killed three soldiers. A first was struck by lightning; as others rushed to evacuate him, one was swept away by a flood, and a second drowned as he tried to rescue his comrade. The same day, a fourth soldier died in a road accident, once again as he was riding in the open turret of a VAB. On 4 October, two soldiers died in an explosion triggered against their convoy; a third, chief sergeant Johann Hivin-Gerard, of the 3e RIMa, succumbed to his wounds four days later.
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
.
has deployed two joint battalions, each comprising three combat companies, and six "Operational Mentoring Liaison Team". They fall mostly under Regional Command Capital
, under Turkish command since 2009, and under Regional Command East
, under US command.
Since 1 November 2009, the French deployment has been deeply reorganised, though complements are supposedly unchanged:
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; each can deploy an AMX-10 RC platoon, and several fire support platoons comprising VBL and 20mm-armed VAB T20-13
vehicles.
Summer of 2009 saw a significant beefing up in aerial capabilities, with 3 EC-665 Tigre and 2 AS-532 Cougar of the ALAT
sent in reinforcements.. 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 neightbouring valleys, complementing the 120mm MO-120-RT-61
mortars that they bring with.
Six "Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams" amounting to 300 men assist the Afghan Army:
Opération Épidote employs 60 men who train Afghan officers. In the year 2009, 5000 Afghan officers were taught there.
About 20 instructors train 6 commando kandaks. At least two kandaks have been formed thus far.
had 334 men in Afghanistan. They manned the following systems:
In the same theatre of operation but outside Afghanistan, 172 men are deployed in Dushanbe
, in Tajikistan, manning a logistic base and two C-160 Transall . Furthermore, a C135 is based at the Transit Centre at Manas, in Kirghizistan, with 35 men.
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..
has been in charge of fuel supplies in Kabul Airport and in Camp Warehouse
since 2006
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
since late 2001. They operate within two distinct frameworks:
- the International Security Assistance ForceInternational Security Assistance ForceThe International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
(ISAF), carried out by NATO on a United Nations mandate - "Operation Enduring Freedom", under US command, as part of the so-called "War on TerrorWar on TerrorThe War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
".
French forces have contributed to both chapters in several national operations:
- Opération Pamir with the ISAF,
- Opération Héraklès for the naval and air components
- Opération Épidote for training of the Afghan Army
- Opération ArèsOperation AresOperation Ares is Gene Wolfe's first novel, published as a paperback original by Berkley Books in 1970. While no later editions were issued in the United States, a hardcover edition was released in the UK market by Dobson Books in 1977, followed by a Fontana paperback in 1978...
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
Combined Task Force 150
Combined Task Force 150 is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 25 nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, inspect, board, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the "War on Terrorism" and in the Horn of Africa region ...
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. 76 men have been killed.
Mission
The official mission statement for French military in Afghanistan inFrench 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, she pledged armed forces at the side of her allies.Legal context and UN mandate
On 20 December 2001, Resolution 1386United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, adopted unanimously on December 20, 2001, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in Afghanistan, particularly resolutions 1378 and 1383 , the Council authorised the establishment of the International Security Assistance Force to assist...
of the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
created the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
(ISAF), under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter sets out the UN Security Council's powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to take military and nonmilitary action to "restore international peace...
. Its mandate is
Opération Héraklès
From 21 October 2001, opération Héraklès came in force, with the deployment of two Mirage IVP and two C-135FR on the UAE air base of Al Dhafra. These planes carried out 80 one-hour reconnaissance missions over Afghanistan, after crossing the Sea of Oman and part of Pakistan, until they were drawn back to France on in February 2002.On 21 November 2001, the Charles De Gaulle and her battle group were deployed in the Indian Ocean to support NATO operations in Afghanistan. Dubbed Task Force 473, the group comprise the Charles De Gaulle, the frigates La Motte-Picquet, Jean de Vienne and Jean Bart, the tanker Meuse, the nuclear submarine Rubis, and aviso
Aviso
An aviso , a kind of dispatch boat or advice boat, survives particularly in the French navy, they are considered equivalent to the modern sloop....
Commandant Ducuing. On 19 December 2001, Dassault-Breguet Super Étendards aircraft carried out their first missions.
On 27 December 2001, Task Force 473 was integrated into a multinational force also comprising the aero-naval groups of the USS Theodore Roosevelt
USS Theodore Roosevelt
USS Theodore Roosevelt has been the name of more than one United States Navy ship, and may refer to:, troop transport in commission from 1918 to 1919, ballistic missile submarine in commission from 1961 to 1982, aircraft carrier in commission since 1986...
and USS John C. Stennis, and the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi, amounting to over 100 ships in total.
On 18 February 2002, a Helios 2A
Helios 2A
The Helios 2 system includes Helios 2A and Helios 2B, both of which are european military observation satellites used by France, Belgium, Spain . Helios 2A was launched on December 18, 2004 by an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. Helios 2B was launched five years later on December 18, 2009,...
satellite spotted suspicious activities on the ground near Gardēz. After confirmation by two Super Étendards and by US special forces, Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in which the United States military and CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with allied Afghan military forces, and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization and non NATO forces attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot...
was launched by US and British forces. The attempted capture of wanted leaders ended in failure as the incomplete surrounding allowed them to flee.
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. It was disbanded in September 2002 without intervening.
In March, Super Étendards and six Mirage 2000 targeted several suspected Al Qaida targets on request from US forces, though some were denied for fear of hitting civilians. US President George Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
stated
From February, the 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..On 11 August 2003, NATO took over command of the 3500-string ISAF. By that time, the French contingent amounted to 500 men, one seventh of the force. France also assumed command of the Kabul region, in rotation with Turkey and Italy.
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 Commandement des opérations spécialesCommandement des Opérations Spéciales
The Commandement des Opérations Spéciales is the organisation which coordinates the use of the French special forces of all military branches . The COS was created on 24 June 1992, following the Gulf War...
operated on the ground from July 2003 to December 2006 near Spin Boldak
Spin Boldak
Spin Boldak or Spin Buldak is a border town in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, right next to the Durand Line border with Pakistan. It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar to the north, and with Chaman and Quetta in Pakistan to the south. Spin Boldak has the second major...
, and later at Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
. They sustained 7 killed..
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 trainees were formed..
From 9 August 2004 to 11 February 2005, the Eurocorps
Eurocorps
Eurocorps is a multinational standing army corps available for the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance.Headquartered in Strasbourg, France, the force was created in May 1992, activated in October 1993 and declared operational in 1995....
was put in charge for the ISAF6 mission.
In February 2010, one OMLT composed of 70 French soldiers and a number of afghan troops participated to the NATO-led Operation Moshtarak in Hemland, Southern Afghanistan.
First casualties
French Forces sustained their first fatality on 31 August 2004 when corporal Murat Yagci, of the 1er RIMa, gravely injured two days earlier when his vehicle fell over a cliff, died of his wounds.. Two more soldiers, of the 3e RH, were killed in a traffic accident near Kabul on 21 October. On 12 February 2005, a corporal of the 2e REI killed himself with his own weapon.The first combat fatalities occurred on 17 September 2005, when a makeshift landmine killed Corporal Cédric Crupel, of the 1er RIMa, near Spin Boldak
Spin Boldak
Spin Boldak or Spin Buldak is a border town in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, right next to the Durand Line border with Pakistan. It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar to the north, and with Chaman and Quetta in Pakistan to the south. Spin Boldak has the second major...
.
Reinforcements of the expeditionary corps and the Surobi Ambush
By December 2007, the French contingent in Afghanistan had grown to 1 600 men, with 400 more involved in the theatre of operations. The Air component had carried out 1 700 sorties and 300 shows of force.In August 2008, nine French soldiers were killed and 21 wounded by guerrilla forces in the Uzbin Valley Ambush
Uzbin Valley ambush
The Uzbin Valley ambush occurred when ISAF troops were ambushed by Afghan militants in eastern Afghanistan on 18 August 2008. It took place outside the village of Spēṟ Kunday, of the Surobi District of Kabul province and resulted in heavy casualties to the French ISAF contingent.A NATO report of...
, near Surobi. A tenth soldier died in a related road accident. These losses, the heaviest in France since the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing
1983 Beirut barracks bombing
The Beirut Barracks Bombing occurred during the Lebanese Civil War, when two truck bombs struck separate buildings housing United States and French military forces—members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon—killing 299 American and French servicemen...
, shocked the public opinion and prompted or accelerated deployment of items requested by the military, particularly drones and tele-operated turrets
Protector M151
The M151 PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Station is a remotely-controlled weapons station that can be mounted to vehicles and stationary platforms...
for VABs.
On 22 September 2008, a 343 to 210 vote by the National Assembly of France authorised prolonged intervention in Afghanistan.. In March 2009, the French set on the offensive in Kapisa Province
Kapisa Province
Kapisa is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the north-east of the country. Its capital is Mahmud-i-Raqi, and other districts include Kohistan, Nijrab and Tagab. The population of Kapisa is estimated to be 364,900, although there has never been an official estimate...
, yielding the Battle of Alasay
Battle of Alasay
The Battle of Alasay, codenamed Operation Dinner Out, was a military operation carried out by French troops of the Chasseurs Alpins's 27e Battalion and the Afghan National Army 1st Kandak between the 14th and 23rd of March 2009...
; at the price of one killed, they routed a few hundreds of guerrilla and established two outposts for the Afghan Army.
On 4 September 2009, Corporal Johan Naguin, of the 3e RIMa, was killed by a makeshift landmine; Chief corporal Thomas Rousselle, of the 3e REI, died of his wounds two days later, and eight others were wounded. On 27 September, a storm killed three soldiers. A first was struck by lightning; as others rushed to evacuate him, one was swept away by a flood, and a second drowned as he tried to rescue his comrade. The same day, a fourth soldier died in a road accident, once again as he was riding in the open turret of a VAB. On 4 October, two soldiers died in an explosion triggered against their convoy; a third, chief sergeant Johann Hivin-Gerard, of the 3e RIMa, succumbed to his wounds four days later.
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
Brigade La Fayette
The Brigade La Fayette, also named La Fayette Task Force, is a joint unit of the French forces in Afghanistan. It was officially created on 1 November 2009, along with a complete reorganisation of the French military deployment in Afghanistan. It comprises most of the French Army units involved in...
.
Order of battle
The total French forces deployed on the theatre of operations, including Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kirghizstan and the Indian Ocean, amounts to 4,000 men. 3,200 have foot in Afghanistan itself.. Furthermore, 150 gendarmes are training the Afghan police.Army
The French ArmyFrench Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
has deployed two joint battalions, each comprising three combat companies, and six "Operational Mentoring Liaison Team". They fall mostly under Regional Command Capital
Regional Command Capital
Regional Command Capital is a multinational military formation, part of the International Security Assistance Force. The headquarters is in Kabul. Since 6 August 2006, Regional Command Capital is the new name given to the former Kabul Multinational Brigade...
, under Turkish command since 2009, and under Regional Command East
Regional Command East
Regional Command is an international military formation, of roughly division size, which is one of the components of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. The United States Army has usually provided the force headquarters...
, under US command.
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 Headquarter is located in an outpost near NijrabNijrabNijrab is a village and the center of Nijrab District, Kapisa Province, Afghanistan. It is located at at 1,613 m altitude. There are a medical clinic, schools and radio station in the village....
.. - operationally, responsibility for Surobi district has been transferred from Regional Command CapitalRegional Command CapitalRegional Command Capital is a multinational military formation, part of the International Security Assistance Force. The headquarters is in Kabul. Since 6 August 2006, Regional Command Capital is the new name given to the former Kabul Multinational Brigade...
to Regional Command EastRegional Command EastRegional Command is an international military formation, of roughly division size, which is one of the components of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. The United States Army has usually provided the force headquarters...
, bringing GTIA Surobi and GTIA Kapisa under a single Regional command. Furthermore, a "Brigade La FayetteBrigade La FayetteThe Brigade La Fayette, also named La Fayette Task Force, is a joint unit of the French forces in Afghanistan. It was officially created on 1 November 2009, along with a complete reorganisation of the French military deployment in Afghanistan. It comprises most of the French Army units involved in...
", 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
Brigade La Fayette
The Brigade La Fayette, also named La Fayette Task Force, is a joint unit of the French forces in Afghanistan. It was officially created on 1 November 2009, along with a complete reorganisation of the French military deployment in Afghanistan. It comprises most of the French Army units involved in...
.
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; each can deploy an AMX-10 RC platoon, and several fire support platoons comprising VBL and 20mm-armed VAB T20-13
Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé
The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB is an armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle designed by the Euro Mobilité Division of GIAT Industries of France. It entered service in 1976; around 5,000 were produced.- Design :The VAB was designed as a wheeled troop transporter, complementing the...
vehicles.
Summer of 2009 saw a significant beefing up in aerial capabilities, with 3 EC-665 Tigre and 2 AS-532 Cougar of the ALAT
French Army Light Aviation
The French Army Light Aviation is the aviation service of the French Army.-History:The French Army Light Aviation was established on 22 November 1954 for observation, reconnaissance, assault and supply duties.-Composition:...
sent in reinforcements.. 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 neightbouring valleys, complementing the 120mm MO-120-RT-61
Mortier 120mm Rayé Tracté Modèle F1
The MO-120 RT-61 or MO-120-RT is a heavy mortar of French origin. It was designed by Thomson-Brandt as the successor for the MO-120 AM-50...
mortars that they bring with.
Six "Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams" amounting to 300 men assist the Afghan Army:
- Five teams with the Afghan 201st Army Corps in Kapisa and Surobi, amounting to 230 men:
- 1 team with the headquarter of the Army Corps and of its 1st Brigade
- 2 teams with an infantry kandak within 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 Tarin Kwot and Deh Rawod outposts, is organically attached to the Neerland contingent, in Regional Command SouthRegional Command SouthRegional Command is a multinational military formation, part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. It is responsible for provincial reconstruction and security in Kandahar, Lashkar Gah, Qalat and Tarin Kowt. The Command also has responsibility for the provinces of Nimruz...
. The troops come from the 2e REI.
Opération Épidote employs 60 men who train Afghan officers. In the year 2009, 5000 Afghan officers were taught there.
About 20 instructors train 6 commando kandaks. At least two kandaks have been formed thus far.
Air Force
As of April 2009, the French Air ForceFrench Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
had 334 men in Afghanistan. They manned the following systems:
- 6 attack planes, based in KandaharKandaharKandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
- 3 Mirage 2000D, since 2005
- 3 Mirage F1 CR, since 20 May 2009. They relieved three Rafale that were present from 2007.
- 3 Caracal in Kabul Airport, under the aegis of the ALAT, attached to the Army, 3 TigersEurocopter TigerThe Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre.-Origins:...
, 3 GazellesAérospatiale GazelleThe Aérospatiale Gazelle is a five-seat light helicopter, powered by a single turbine engine. It was designed and manufactured in France by Sud Aviation . It was also manufactured under licence by Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom , by SOKO in Yugoslavia and ABHCO in Egypt...
Viviane HOT, and 2 Cougars. - 2 Harfang drones, since 3 February 2009; three were originally deployed, but one was damaged in a crash and brought back to France.
In the same theatre of operation but outside Afghanistan, 172 men are deployed in Dushanbe
Dushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
, in Tajikistan, manning a logistic base and two C-160 Transall . Furthermore, a C135 is based at the Transit Centre at Manas, in Kirghizistan, with 35 men.
Gendarmerie
150 French gendarmes take part in the 500-man European Gendarmerie ForceEuropean Gendarmerie Force
The European Gendarmerie Force was launched by an agreement in 2006 between five members of the European Union : France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. Romania subsequently joined in 2009...
contingent in Afghanistan.
Two Mobile Gendarmerie
Mobile Gendarmerie
The Mobile Gendarmerie is a subdivision of the French Gendarmerie. The Mobile Gendarmerie is the inheritor of the traditions of the gendarmerie's historic infantry component. Specific anti-riot units of the Gendarmerie date back to the beginning of the 19th century...
squadrons, from Chauny and Satory, are scheduled to deploy for six months from early 2010 to train the Afghan police..
Military Fuel Service
The Military Fuel ServiceMilitary Fuel Service (France)
The Service des essences des armées , which translates as the Military fuel service is an inter-service branch of the French Army subordinate to the head of the defence staff.-History:...
has been in charge of fuel supplies in Kabul Airport and in Camp Warehouse
Camp Warehouse
Camp Warehouse is the operations centre for the multinational International Security Assistance Force located 10 kilometers east of Kabul. The camp has soldiers and equipment from dozens of countries. Part of Camp Warehouse is a German-sponsored ISAF military hospital.- External links :* * *...
since 2006