AFGHANISTAN (OPERATION HERRICK)

In mid 2011 the UK had approximately 9,500 personnel serving in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The security situation varies across the country with over 60% of violent incidents taking part in the southern provinces of Helmand, Kandahar and Kunar, areas where the population is about 11% of the country's 28 million people. The UK’s role is to assist the Afghan government to ensure security, governance, and development.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is mandated under Chapter VII of the United Nations (UN) Charter (Peace Enforcing) by a number of UN Security Resolutions. ISAF exists to help the Afghan people, not to govern them. Additionally, under the UN mandate, the role of ISAF is to assist in the maintenance of security to help the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the UN in those areas it is responsible for.

NATO assumed command and control of the ISAF mission on August 11, 2003.

During early 2011 there were approximately 132,000 troops in ISAF with contributions from 48 nations with national contingent strengths changing on a regular basis. Major contributors include:

• United States         90,000

• United Kingdom       9,500

• Germany                 5,000

• Italy                        3,800

• France                    3,400

• Canada                   2,900

• Poland                    2,500

• Turkey                    1,800

• Romania                 1,700

• Australia                 1,500

• Spain                     1,500

ISAF is supported by approximately 150,000 personnel from the Afghan National Army (ANA) and about 90,000 personnel from the Afghan National Police (ANP).

UK Forces - Afghanistan Spring 2011 Roulement

As part of the Spring 2011 Roulement 16 Air Assault Brigade were replaced in Helmand by units under the command of HQ 3 Command Brigade. 3 Commando Brigade's planned replacement is the 20th Armoured Brigade who we believe will be deploying in October 2011. Current force levels of around 9,500 troops will probably be maintained.

Formations and units under the command of HQ 3 Commando Brigade will include the following:

3 Commando Brigade Headquarters, Royal Marines
Headquarters, 104 Logistic Brigade
Elements of 7 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron

Army

29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery
24 Commando Engineer Regiment
4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Highlanders
3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment
2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles
1st Battalion The Rifles
2 Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Elements of: 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery; The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards; 9th/12th Lancers (Prince of Wales's); 5th Regiment Royal Artillery; 12th Regiment Royal Artillery; 16th Regiment Royal Artillery; 26th Regiment Royal Artillery; 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery; 39th Regiment Royal Artillery; 47th Regiment Royal Artillery; 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group; 22 Engineer Regiment; 28 Engineer Regiment; 32 Engineer Regiment; 36 Engineer Regiment; 42 Engineer Regiment (Geographic); 101 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal); 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group; 3rd Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment; 10th Signal Regiment; 14th Signals Regiment (Electronic Warfare); 21st Signal Regiment (Air Support); 22nd Signal Regiment; 1 Regiment, Army Air Corps; 3 Regiment, Army Air Corps; 2 Logistic Support Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps; 9 Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps; 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps; 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps; 23 Pioneer Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps; 24 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps; 27 Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps; 29 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps; 7 Air Assault Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; 101 Force Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; 104 Force Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; 5th Regiment Royal Military Police; 111 Provost Company Royal Military Police;114 Provost Company Royal Military Police; Special Investigations Branch United Kingdom; 1 Military Working Dogs Regiment; 1 Military Intelligence Brigade; Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG); 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Volunteers); 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Volunteers); 6th Battalion The Rifles (Volunteers); 88 Postal and Courier Regiment (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps; 151 Regiment (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps; 158 Transport Regiment (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps; 162 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps; 166 Supply Regiment (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps; 148 Expeditionary Force Institute Squadron (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps; 383 Commando Petroleum Troop (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps; 395 Air Despatch Troop (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps; 102 Battalion (Volunteers), Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; Military Provost Staff and Military Provost Staff (Volunteers)

Royal Navy

42 Commando Royal Marines including members of the Maritime Reserve
45 Commando Royal Marines including members of the Maritime Reserve
Logistic Regiment, Royal Marines

Elements of: 845 Naval Air Squadron including members of the Maritime Reserve; 846 Naval Air Squadron; 847 Naval Air Squadron; 857 Naval Air Squadron including members of the Maritime Reserve; 854 Naval Air Squadron; Royal Naval Regulating Staff; 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group, Royal Marines; Headquarters Joint Force Support (Afghanistan) including members of the Maritime Reserve; Naval elements forming the in-theatre Medical Regiment and Field Hospital.

Royal Air Force

58 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment
617 Squadron, Royal Air Force
31 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of: No 6 Royal Air Force, Force Protection Wing Headquarters; Elements of HQ Royal Air Force Police Wing; the Royal Auxiliary Air Force; 5 (Army Co-Operation) Squadron, Royal Air Force; 18 Squadron, Royal Air Force; 24 Squadron, Royal Air Force; 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force; 28 Squadron, Royal Air Force; 30 Squadron, Royal Air Force; 78 Squadron, Royal Air Force; Tactical Supply Wing, Royal Air Force; 1 Air Mobility Wing, Royal Air Force; 1 Air Control Centre, Royal Air Force; 90 Signals Unit, Royal Air Force; 2 (Mechanical Transport) Squadron, Royal Air Force; 5001 Squadron, Royal Air Force; 3 Mobile Catering Squadron; Tactical Medical Wing; 1 (Expeditionary Logistics) Squadron; 93 (Expeditionary Armaments) Squadron; Tactical Imagery Wing; Joint Ground Based Air Defence;

Volunteer and ex-regular members of the reserve forces will continue to deploy to Afghanistan as part of this integrated force package, and we expect to issue around 786 call-out notices to fill some 676 posts. On completion of their mobilisation procedures, the reservists will undertake a period of training and, where applicable, integration with their respective receiving units. The majority will serve on operations for around six months. As part of this commitment, we expect up to 19 members of the sponsored reserves to be in theatre at any one time.

The deployment of 3 Commando Brigade and accompanying units will not result in any change to the UK's established and enduring conventional force level of 9,500 personnel. I shall make a further statement on the units we expect to serve under Afghanistan: Monthly

Afghanistan – Costs

“When the army marches the treasury empties”
Sun Tzu – The Art of War (around 500 BC)

The additional costs for operations in Afghanistan (excluding salaries and ongoing costs that would have happened anyway) are paid for by the Governments Contingency Reserve fund. The next table shows annual costs from 2001 which total to just over £14 billion.

Supply

Supplies are moved into Afghanistan via Pakistan and countries to the north. However, air supply is a vital ingredient in the support chain and the following table shows the pressure under which the Royal Air Force and civilian supply agencies operate: