[R-G] France plans build-up in Afghanistan

[Anthony Fenton]

Jane's Defence Weekly - September 12, 2007
France plans build-up in Afghanistan
J A C Lewis JDW Correspondent
    Paris

France plans to build up its military presence in southern  
Afghanistan in response to calls by the US and NATO for greater  
European involvement in the fight against Taliban forces.

The French Defence Ministry said on 30 August that France had decided  
to shift its fighter aircraft that currently back coalition troops in  
Afghanistan from a base in Duchanbe in Tajikistan to the US-run  
airbase at Kandahar starting from September.

A spokesman for the French general staff confirmed press reports on  
the same day that three of the six French Mirage 2000D and Mirage F1  
fighters presently at Duchanbe would redeploy to southeast  
Afghanistan, scene of the toughest fighting against the Taliban, by  
the end of September. The remaining three are to follow in mid-October.

The defence ministry aide said the decision to move the fighters to  
Kandahar was "purely technical" in that it will enable the aircraft  
to be closer to the main action in Afghanistan.

When operating out of Duchanbe French combat aircraft often needed  
over two hours to reach the target area and return, requiring  
inflight refuelling. French Defence Minister Hervé Morin is to visit  
Tajikistan and Afghanistan between 6-8 September and will officially  
announce the redeployment on that occasion.

Elsewhere, France is to send an additional 150 military instructors  
to Afghanistan in coming weeks to work with the 201st Afghan Army

Corps in the Kabul region. Around 1,000 French troops currently serve  
in Afghanistan with the 11,000-strong International Security  
Assistance Force (ISAF).

The two moves appear to indicate a desire by new French President  
Nicolas Sarkozy to improve ties with the US following the rift  
between Washington and Paris over France's refusal to take part in  
the US assault on Iraq. Paris remains opposed to the Iraq war.