Posted on 06/24/2003 5:01:58 AM PDT by Clive
Backgrounder
Operation ATHENA: The Canadian Forces Participation in ISAF
BG-03.039 - June 19, 2003
The International Security Assistance Force
The objective of Operation ATHENA, Canada's contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), is to take part in the United Nations (UN)-authorized mission in Kabul, Afghanistan, for a period of 12 months starting in August 2003. ISAF is not a UN operation. On August 11, 2003, it will become a mission of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Task Force Kabul is the formation that comprises all Canadian Forces (CF) units and formations committed to Op ATHENA. Background
ISAF was authorized by the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1386 on December 20, 2001, with a mandate to assist the ATA. The United Kingdom was the first country to serve as lead nation, from December 2001 to June 2002. UNSCR 1413 extended the ISAF mission and authorization to 20 December 2002. At present, Germany and the Netherlands are sharing the lead under the original UN mandate (UNSCR 1386), which was extended on November 27, 2002 by UNSCR 1444 to run until December 20, 2003. NATO will take the lead on August 11, 2003. Mission
The mission of ISAF is to help maintain security in Kabul and the surrounding areas so that the Afghan Transitional Authority (ATA) and UN agencies can function. It also includes liaison with political, social and religious leaders to ensure that ISAF operations appropriately respect religious, ethnic and cultural sensitivities in Afghanistan.
The Canadian government's overarching goal in contributing to ISAF is to prevent Afghanistan from relapsing into a failed state that provides a safe haven for terrorists and terrorist organizations. Canada remains committed to the campaign against terrorism and, with our allies, will make a major contribution to the stabilization and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Canada aims to help Afghanistan become the following:
a stable nation that is no longer a haven for terrorism;
a country that meets the needs of its people; and
a fully integrated part of the international community.
Afghanistan's full and sustained recovery is key to eliminating the threat of terrorism and achieving greater international security and stability. The reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan will require a considerable and sustained commitment over the long term, and Canada is doing its part with its allies.
Every effort is being made in the planning and execution of this mission to ensure that our people will be able to do what we ask of them safely and effectively in this high-risk environment. The government is using the skills and competencies that Canadians are known for to assist in the stabilization and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Tasks
Ensure freedom of movement in Kabul and the region surrounding the city.
Force protection.
Provide advice to the ATA on security structures and issues.
Assist in the operation of Kabul International Airport.
Assist in the reconstruction of Afghan national armed forces. Current Makeup
At this time, ISAF comprises 5,000 troops from 29 nations. Its current commander is Lieutenant-General Norbert van Heyst of Germany. Germany and the Netherlands are sharing the lead-nation role until August 11, 2003, when NATO will take over.
ISAF Headquarters (ISAF HQ) is located in the centre of Kabul. Subordinate to it is the tactical headquarters of the Kabul Multinational Brigade (KMNB HQ) at Camp Warehouse, 15 km east of Kabul. KMNB HQ covers the operational side of the mission and commands three battalion groups, two led by Germany and the third led by France, and all three including troops from other nations. Canada will replace a German Battalion Group in August 2003. The Canadian Commitment
The Theatre Activation Team (TAT) comprising about 250 CF members is made up of personnel from the Canadian Forces Joint Operations Group based in Kingston, Ontario, and a defence and security element from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, which is based at Gagetown, New Brunswick. The TAT will establish the necessary in-theatre support infrastructure for Op ATHENA by facilitating the reception, staging and onward movement of materiel, advance parties, and the main body of Task Force Kabul.
The CF will deploy the following forces during Rotation "0" of Op ATHENA:
a battalion group based on the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (3 RCR);
a Brigade Headquarters based on members of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron (2 CMBG HQ and Sigs Sqn);
a National Command Element that links the Chief of the Defence Staff in Ottawa with Task Force Kabul;
a National Support Element responsible for delivering centralized administrative and logistics support services to Task Force Kabul;
an airlift element operating two CC-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft from southwest Asia; and
additional staff for ISAF HQ, including Maj.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, who has been appointed Deputy Commander, ISAF.
A battalion group is a mission-specific tactical formation that is usually built around an infantry battalion or armoured regiment, supported by other army elements - for example, an armoured or reconnaissance squadron or infantry company, and an engineer squadron. A battalion group also includes a logistics element.
The 3 RCR Battalion Group will deploy with modern LAV III infantry fighting vehicles, LG1 Giat howitzers, and state-of-the-art Coyote reconnaissance vehicles.
The Canadian contingent will also have logistics, reconnaissance, engineers, military police and medical support capabilities. These capabilities will come from other units, most of them in the Petawawa garrison.
The initial deployment (Rotation 0) will last about six months. Most of the CF personnel deployed on the second six-month tour (Rotation 1) will come from Land Force Quebec Area.
With about 1,900 personnel deploying in each rotation, the Canadian contingent will be the second-largest in ISAF (numbers may change). Task Force Kabul will travel by CC-150 Polaris strategic transport aircraft to an intermediate staging base in the Arabian Gulf region and from there into Afghanistan by CC-130 Hercules. Of the 1,900 troops deployed on Operation ATHENA, about 1,700 will be deployed in Kabul; the remainder will be deployed in a Middle Eastern country in support of the mission. The Risk Level
Every effort is being made in the planning and implementation stages of this mission to ensure CF members can do what we ask of them as safely and effectively as possible in this high-risk environment. Afghanistan is still a hostile setting where injuries and fatalities are commonplace and the possibility of Canadian casualties, either military or civilian, is high. The forces Canada is sending have undergone demanding and realistic training, are led by outstanding officers and NCOs, have excellent equipment, and are armed with robust rules of engagement. Rules of Engagement
The rules of engagement (ROE) have been communicated to our troops, who have trained with them. Task Force Kabul is equipped with ROE appropriate for the kind of Chapter VII mission and high-risk environment they will encounter in Kabul. The ROE are robust, and will permit CF personnel to carry out their mission. For security reasons, we do not discuss the specifics of ROE. Command and Control Arrangements
Command of the Canadian contingent will remain with the Chief of the Defence Staff and, ultimately, the Government of Canada.
Maj.-Gen. Andrew Leslie of Canada will be the Deputy Commander of the ISAF in Kabul, Afghanistan. He will also be Commander, Task Force Kabul and, as such, the commander of all CF personnel deployed on Op ATHENA, both in theatre and elsewhere in support of the mission. Maj.-Gen. Leslie will be supported in this operation by the following senior officers serving in the command appointments:
Brigadier-General Peter Devlin: Kabul Multinational Brigade Commander;
Colonel Mark Hodgson: Commanding Officer (CO) National Command Element;
Colonel Marc Pouliot: CO Theatre Activation Team. (To return in August 2003.);
Lieutenant-Colonel Donald Denne: CO 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battalion Group;
Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Thurrott: CO National Support Element; and
Major Thomas Sullivan: CO Kabul Multinational Brigade Headquarters and Signals Squadron. Services and Equipment for Deployed Troops Health Care and Support to Families
The Army has already begun enhanced medical screening of all personnel going on Op ATHENA to Afghanistan this year. Medical officers are being re-briefed where required on the appropriate management of deployment-related health problems.
Special consideration has been given to providing all CF members preparing for Op ATHENA, including the 3 RCR Battalion Group, with realistic training to prepare them for the climate, environmental conditions and cultural sensitivities of Afghanistan.
Task Force Kabul will include a complete Health Services Support Company of about 70 personnel comprising (among others) surgeons, social workers and dentists who will work with the contingent padres to respond to our soldiers' physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs. If required, consideration will be given to the use of multinational resources in theatre and to the deployment of additional resources from Canada.
The families of CF members deploying on Op ATHENA have also received pre-deployment briefings through the Military Family Resource Centres. A 24/7 toll-free telephone line will be established to allow family members immediate access to unit members in Canada who can respond to their needs. CADPAT
The disruptive pattern combat uniform is now available in two versions, one for temperate climates called Temperate Woodland (TW), and one for arid or desert regions called Arid Region (AR). The desert uniforms were acquired last year.
The environment in Afghanistan varies from trees and bushes to rock and desert, and dry and wet periods also greatly affect the colour of the vegetation throughout the area, making camouflage and concealment more challenging. It has therefore been decided that both the TW and AR patterns will be issued to the personnel going to Kabul.
The uniform pattern is officially known as Canadian Disruptive Pattern, or CADPAT. It is a computer-generated colour pattern that provides highly effective camouflage in field conditions. The material is also treated to match the near-infrared signature of the background and, thus, reduce the risk of detection by means of image-intensification equipment. Both versions are made of the same cloth; only the pattern and colours are different. Fragmentation Protective Vest and Ballistic Plates
Because some orders have yet to be received, the CF currently has an overall shortage of the ballistic plates that are worn with the fragmentation protective vest. Ballistic plates are being introduced through the Clothe the Soldier program, which is not yet complete.
Ballistic plates are sections of body armour that fit into pockets on the front and back of the soldier's fragmentation protective vest, or "frag vest." Without the plates, the vest will protect the soldier from shell fragments from artillery and mortar fire, but will not stop direct, aimed shots from rifles and machine-guns. The ballistic plates, which cover vital organs in the upper body, significantly increase the protection offered by the vest, and may stop some direct shots.
About 1,700 frag vests with plates are in Canada and available for Op ATHENA, and 650 more sets are being withdrawn from Bosnia, where the threat level is much lower. Therefore, every soldier deploying on Op ATHENA will have a frag vest with ballistic plates. All 250 CF personnel currently in Afghanistan have frag vests with ballistic plates.
The CF has a total of about 4,000 sets of ballistic plates. A newer type of plate that was ordered as part of the Clothe the Soldier program should be delivered in the fall of 2004, along with an improved frag vest.
It should be noted that neither the frag vest nor the vest plus the ballistic plates can give perfect protection. They are meant to reduce injury and save life. They do not make soldiers bullet-proof.
Ballistic plates are not worn all the time during a deployment; the Task Force Commander for each mission decides whether they will be worn, depending on the mission and threat level. At the current threat level, Op ATHENA personnel will be required to wear a frag vest with plates whenever they leave the camp, and sometimes even in camp if the threat level indicates a requirement.
More information, including photos, can be found on the Clothe the Soldier website: http://www.army.dnd.ca/lf/equip/hab/index_e.asp CANCAP
The Contractor Augmentation Program (CANCAP) is a CF initiative under which civilian contractors deliver support services to CF units deployed on operations where local conditions permit. CANCAP does not replace CF functions, but augments combat service support capabilities and will, therefore, provide relief for overstretched CF support trades. This type of support has been used in Bosnia for about three years.
In December 2002, DND entered into a contract with SNC-Lavalin/PAE to provide support services to deployed CF operations to a value of $400 million for up to 10 years. SNC-Lavalin/PAE is an experienced company that has been in Afghanistan for two years providing support to non-governmental organizations and the deployed forces of the United States and other countries. Many contractors are in Kabul providing services such as food and fuel supply.
CANCAP will support the 1,700 personnel to be deployed in Afghanistan from August 2003 to August 2004. Due to the mission's extremely short timelines, the support task was divided into two parts: the Support to Theatre Activation Task and the Mission Sustainment Task.
The Support to Theatre Activation Task, now under way, will end on August 10, 2003, when the entire Canadian contingent will be on the ground in Kabul.. Activities in Kabul include camp construction, reception and movement of camp materiel, and provision of some camp support services (e.g., food services and fuel supply) to the Theatre Activation Team. Most of these activities are being conducted under subcontracts arranged by CANCAP in theatre.
The Sustainment Task Order for services to the Canadian camp is currently being negotiated and should be approved by June 20. This Task Order will allow CANCAP to provide camp services such as food services, local procurement, laundry, water and waste management, engineering support, fire services, accommodation control, and system support to communications and information systems.
CANCAP is expected to save 80 to 100 military logistics positions in combat service support. CANCAP personnel will be integrated into the CF logistics support structure. Cost
Mission planning and evaluation of Op ATHENA are still going on, and costs can be expected to fluctuate according to changes in operational requirements. Work in Afghanistan has only just begun, so many factors relating to the costs of Op ATHENA are still in flux or are as yet unknown. Therefore, it is still too early to discuss operation costs. A Chronology of Key Statements and Events
February 12, 2003: The Honourable John McCallum, Minister of National Defence, made the following statement in the House of Commons: "Canada has been approached by the international community for assistance in maintaining peace and security in Afghanistan for the UN-mandated mission in Kabul. Canada is willing to serve with a battalion group and a brigade headquarters for a period of one year, starting late this summer. We are currently in discussion with a number of potential partners."
February 28, 2003: Chief of the Defence Staff General Ray Henault issued a warning order to some CF organizations to be prepared to meet the requirements of a potential deployment with ISAF. A warning order gives notice of an impending operation and is part of the normal process of prudent military planning; its purpose is to provide guidance on planning activities to be undertaken. It maximizes the planning time available to subordinate commands to prepare for deployment while awaiting further orders.
March 22, 2003: A Strategic Reconnaissance Team (SRT) departed for Kabul, Afghanistan, by way of the Netherlands and Germany. Among other things, the SRT confirmed command relationships and tasks, lines of communication, logistics support, engineering requirements, the existing infrastructure and medical facilities. It was an interdepartmental initiative comprising 22 representatives from the CF with one representative from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), and one representative from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The SRT returned to Canada on March 31, 2003.
March 31, 2003: Two CF officers were assigned to liaison positions in Europe to initiate joint operational and logistics planning for Op ATHENA. One liaison officer went to the Multi-National Movement Control Centre in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and the other went to the ISAF Operations Co-ordination Centre in Potsdam, Germany. Both liaison officers were already in Europe, serving in NATO-related assignments.
April 24, 2003: An Operational Reconnaissance Team (ORT) comprising 15 CF members and 10 civilians departed for Kabul, Afghanistan. Among the civilian members of the ORT were five employees of SNC-Lavalin/PAE to make an assessment of the support services their company could provide to the mission. Most of the ORT members returned to Canada after one week; six of the CF personnel with the ORT remained to continue planning.
April 25, 2003: A Transitional Planning Team (TPT) consisting of 11 CF members departed for Brussels, Belgium, and Potsdam, Germany to conduct detailed staff planning with our ISAF partners on issues such as logistics support, command relationships and tasks, lines of communication, engineering requirements, the existing infrastructure and medical facilities. The team returned to Canada on May 4, 2003.
April 26, 2003: A Liaison Reconnaissance Team (LRT) and a Specialist Engineering Team (SET) totalling 19 CF members departed for Kabul, Afghanistan, where they joined the six CF members of the ORT who stayed behind to continue their planning and liaison activities, and to work on engineering and logistics requirements, and camp design.
May 5, 2003: Minister McCallum announced that Canada would offer to head ISAF during the second six-month tour (Rotation 1). NATO will decide which rotation will provide the commander and the staff for ISAF HQ.
May 23, 2003-June 10, 2003: Vehicles and equipment to be used by Task Force Kabul were loaded aboard cargo ships in the Port of Montreal. One ship has already arrived in Turkey, and another will arrive at the end of June. From Turkey, the vehicles and equipment will be flown by chartered airlift (Ukraine Antonov-124 and IL-76 transport aircraft) directly to Afghanistan. The delivery of the entire shipment to Kabul is expected to be complete by early August.
May 23, 2003-June 1, 2003: The Theatre Activation Team (TAT) comprising about 250 CF members departed for Kabul, Afghanistan. The TAT is made up of soldiers from the Canadian Forces Joint Operations Group based in Kingston, Ontario, and a defence and security element from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, which is based at Gagetown, New Brunswick. The TAT will establish the necessary in-theatre support infrastructure for Op ATHENA by facilitating the reception, staging and onward movement of materiel, advance parties, and the main body of Task Force Kabul.
For more information, visit http://www.isafkabul.org.
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