Following the

terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...

, several nations took on

Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...

and the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

during

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...

(OEF) in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. OEF was the initial combat operations starting on 7 October 2001, in the wake of the

11 September attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated Suicide attack, suicide List of terrorist incidents, terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, ...

on the United States, and during 2002 and 2003. This list covers US and coalition forces and other forms of support for OEF from October 2001. Some nations' operations in Afghanistan continued as part of NATO's

International Security Assistance Force ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , comman ...

(ISAF). For example, United States troops are deployed both in the OEF and ISAF. ''See the article

Afghanistan War order of battle :''This list covers coalition forces in Afghanistan in 2012. See the article Participants in Operation Enduring Freedom for coalition support for Operation Enduring Freedom from October 2001 to 2003. For coalition forces involved in NATO combat op ...

for the current disposition of coalition forces in Afghanistan.'' ''For coalition forces involved in NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat operations in southern Afghanistan in 2006, see the article

Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2006 In January 2006, NATO's focus in southern Afghanistan was to form Provincial Reconstruction Teams with the British leading in Helmand Province and the Netherlands, Australia and Canada leading similar deployments in Orūzgān Province and Kandahar ...

. For coalition forces in Afghanistan in 2007, see the article

Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2007 US and NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations, alongside Afghan National Army forces, continued against the Taliban through 2007. January to July In January and February 2007, British Royal Marines mounted Operation ...

. For coalition forces in Afghanistan in 2008, see the article

Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2008 United States and NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) War in Afghanistan (2001–present), operations, alongside Afghan National Army forces, continued against the Taliban through 2008. On April 27, President Karzai escaped another ...

. For the

for coalition forces in Afghanistan as part of ISAF.''

Afghanistan

Afghan National Security Forces The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), also known as the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), were the military and internal security forces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Structure The Afghan National Security Forc ...

(ANSF) were trying to take an increasing role in battling the

Taliban insurgency {{Infobox military conflict , partof = the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the Afghanistan conflict , image = 2021 Taliban Offensive.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Map of the 2021 Taliban o ...

Albania

Between 2003 and 2013 Albania deployed a total of 2399 troops to Afghanistan with members of the

Special Operations Battalion (Albania) The Special Operations Battalion ( sq, Batalioni i Operacioneve Speciale), commonly known as BOS is the main special forces unit of the Albanian Armed Forces. It is the most elite unit of the Albanian Army. The unit is tasked with special opera ...

operating in various mission across the provinces of Kandahar and Herat.

Australia

At their peak Australian troops in Afghanistan numbered 1,550. They were one of only three countries to openly support operations in Afghanistan at the war's beginning, along with the United States and the United Kingdom. Australian troops were deployed to Uruzgan province, while Special Forces personnel also operated in Afghanistan.

Armenia

The

Armed Forces of Armenia The Armed Forces of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի զինված ուժեր, Hayastani zinvats uzher), sometimes referred to as the Armenian Army ( hy, Հայկական Բանակ, Haykakan Banak), is the national military of Armenia. It consist ...

tripled its Afghan contingent to 130 personnel and possibly increased its military presence in Afghanistan to 260 personnel at the next troop rotation.

Azerbaijan

The

Azerbaijani Armed Forces The Azerbaijani Armed Forces ( az, Azərbaycan Silahlı Qüvvələri) were re-established according to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Armed Forces from 9 October 1991. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) had originally formed ...

deployed over 184 soldiers to Afghanistan.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh provided the use of its airspace and seaports. Bangladeshi NGOs, particularly BRAC, are among the largest and most active development agencies in Afghanistan.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria deployed 608 troops in Afghanistan, as well as medical personnel.

Belgium

In 2002, a tri-national detachment known as the European Participating Air Forces of 18 Danish, Netherlands and Norwegian

F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...

ground attack fighters aircraft deployed to

Manas Air Base Transit Center at Manas (formerly Manas Air Base and unofficially Ganci Air Base) is a former U.S. military installation at Manas International Airport, near Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. It was primarily operated by the U.S. Air F ...

in Kyrgyzstan to support operations in Afghanistan. Belgium contributed a

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...

and four F-16 aircraft.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina deployed a unit of 37 men to destroy munitions and clear mines, in addition to 6 command personnel, as part of the Multinational force in Iraq. The unit was first deployed to Fallujah, then Talil Air Base, and is now located at Camp Echo. In December 2006, the Bosnian government formally extended its mandate through June 2007. Bosnia and Herzegovina is planning to send another 49 soldiers from the 6th infantry division to Iraq in August 2008, their mission will be to protect/guard Camp Victory in Baghdad.

Canada

In 2002, Canada had 2,100 personnel in the

CENTCOM The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...

region (1,100 land, 225 air (6 aircraft) and 700 naval personnel (3 ships)). Ground troops included elements of the

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

Regiment and

Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked 1st in the order of precedence amongst Canadian A ...

, and

JTF2 Joint Task Force 2 (JTF 2; french: links=no, Deuxième Force opérationnelle interarmées, FOI 2) is an elite special operations force of the Canadian Armed Forces, serving under the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. JTF 2 is known to wo ...

special forces. Since initial deployments supporting OEF, Canadian forces have supported OEF and ISAF. Since the summer of 2006, the expanded Canadian force supported the NATO ISAF mission in south Afghanistan. Canada pledged to stop its military operations there by the end of 2014. And had begun logistical preparations to end any substantive combat role by the end of 2011

People's Republic of China

The

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

provided mine-clearance and police training for Afghan Security Forces, but has resisted international pressure to deploy troops to the country. The Chinese government considers Afghanistan a quagmire, and fears that if troops were to be deployed, rising casualties would provoke massive antiwar sentiment in China, due to the

One Child Policy The term one-child policy () refers to a Human population planning, population planning initiative in China implemented between 1980 and 2015 to curb Demographics of China#Population, the country's population growth by restricting many familie ...

Cyprus

Cyprus offered the United States and allies use of its airspace and airports. Also, the United Kingdom used its RAF bases in their Sovereign Base Areas in Atrokiri and Dhekelia to stage attacks and aid the ground forces.

Czech Republic

Since April 2007, a 35-man deployment of the Czech Military Police's Special Operations Group was deployed to Helmand Province to support British forces under ISAF command in a variety of force protection and Direct Action tasks. In 2011, The Czech deployment was increased with a full deployment of a Special Operations Task Group, including the

601st Special Forces Group , image = Znak 601. skss.gif , caption = , dates = , allegiance = Czech Republic , branch = Czech Special Forces , type = Special forces , role= , size = Classified , command_structure = , current_commander = , garrison = Prostějov ...

under the newly formed ISAF SOF (Special Operations Forces) Command.Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015 , p.141 Provided training and material support for allied Afghan forces (donation of Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters to ANA). Sent 3 times a Special Forces Detachment (601st Special Forces Group). Other activities in ISAF – field hospital, KAIA airfield command,

PRT Logar Provincial Reconstruction Team Logar ( Czech: ''Provinční rekonstrukční tým Logar'') was a Provincial Reconstruction Team that was part of the International Security Assistance Force - an international military force in Afghanistan. PRT Logar ...

, force protection for German PRT and Dutch PRT.

Denmark

Since 2002 the number of ground forces committed by the Danish army has been steadily increased from 50 to 750 soldiers and support staff. These forces include a tank platoon with three

Leopard 2 The Leopard 2 is a 3rd generation main battle tank originally developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s for the West German army. The tank first entered service in 1979 and succeeded the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West Germ ...

model 2A5DK tanks. The majority of the Danish forces are deployed in the

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...

operating in the Gerishk District as part of the

ISAF ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

force under UK command. The Danish forces have suffered substantial casualties including 43 deaths up till January, 2013. This is currently the highest level of casualties compared to the contribution size. Additionally Danish

Jægerkorpset The Jaeger Corps also known as the Huntsmen Corps ( da, Jægerkorpset) is an elite special operations force of the Danish Defence part of Special Operations Command, formerly of the Royal Danish Army, based at Aalborg Air Base. History The Jaeg ...

special forces have been deployed at various times – including a substantial number in 2002. In 2002, a tri-national detachment known as the European Participating Air Forces of 18 Danish, Netherlands and Norwegian F-16 ground attack/fighter aircraft deployed to Manas in Kyrgyzstan to support operations in Afghanistan. Denmark contributed 6 F-16 aircraft. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, prime minister of Denmark (2009-2011), said his country's commitment depended on whether Afghanistan's 7 November presidential runoff produced a credible leader (the run off was cancelled).

Egypt

Egyptian Field Hospital at Bagram: Egypt opened an Egyptian Field Hospital at Bagram in 2003. The hospital treated more than 7,000 Afghans per month. Treatment is provided free of charge. 31 percent of the hospital's patients are children. Egypt offered the use of its airspace.

Estonia

Estonia offered the use of its airspace and provided logistical support in theatre. Estonia deployed about 150, and later a further 250, to Afghanistan.

France

Over 4,000 personnel including the

Marine Nationale The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in th ...

(one

CVBG A carrier battle group (CVBG) is a naval fleet consisting of an aircraft carrier capital ship and its large number of naval convoy, escorts, together defining the group. The ''CV'' in ''CVBG'' is the Hull classification symbol#Aircraft carrie ...

, comprising the aircraft carrier , frigates , and , the

nuclear attack submarine An SSN is a nuclear-powered general-purpose attack submarine. ''SSN'' is the US Navy hull classification symbol for such vessels; the ''SS'' denotes a submarine and the ''N'' denotes nuclear power. The designation SSN is used for interoperabili ...

, the tanker and the

aviso An ''aviso'' was originally a kind of dispatch boat or "advice boat", carrying orders before the development of effective remote communication. The term, derived from the Portuguese and Spanish word for "advice", "notice" or "warning", an '' ...

) 3,200 ground troops and 350 from the

Armée de l'Air The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...

(12

Mirage 2000 The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''Arm ...

Mirage F1 The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French fighter and attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was developed as a successor to the popular Mirage III family. During the 1960s, Dassault commenced development of what would b ...

and

Mirage IV The Dassault Mirage IV was a French supersonic strategic bomber and deep-reconnaissance aircraft. Developed by Dassault Aviation, the aircraft entered service with the French Air Force in October 1964. For many years it was a vital part of the ...

ground-attack and

reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...

). The first deployed French force was composed of soldiers from the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment deployed on 17 November 2001, to

Mazar-e Sharif , official_name = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , pushpin_map = Afghanistan#Bactria#West Asia , pushpin_label = Mazar-i-Sharif , pushpin ...

. French special forces operators served in Afghanistan since the formation of ISAF, in 2003 150 COS operators were deployed to replace the Italian ISAF contingent, the COS primarily conducted reconnaissance and close-protection tasks. In 2001 and beginning again in the summer of 2003, 200 soldiers from various units of the

Army Special Forces Brigade The Army Special Forces Command (french: Commandement des forces spéciales Terre, COM FST) regroups the various special operations forces units of the French Army and is the command charged with overseeing them. It is based in Pau, Pyrénées-A ...

(BFST), along with marine and air commandos, have conducted operations against the Taliban, under command and in co-operation with US special operations forces present in the area. French forces have since supported the ISAF mission. Between 2003 and 2007, a 200-man COS unit operated under direct ISAF SOF command of OEF-A, their tasks were restricted to what author Stephen Saideman said was "short-term counter terrorism and counterinsurgency raids" rather than longer Special Reconnaissance missions, nor were they allowed to conduct partnered operations. Despite the restrictions, French SOF operators were carried out a large number of successful Direct Action operations, often in joint operations with American and sometimes British special forces. The French special forces contribution to OEF-A ended in 2007 after disputes over its role. In August 2008, France took control of the Kabul regional command. Ten French troops were killed and a further 21 wounded in an attack – the heaviest loss of troops France has suffered since deploying to Afghanistan in 2002 – it was announced on 19 August. In 2009, a 150-man French special forces task group deployed operating directly for the French ISAF contribution and also conducted significant mentoring of Afghan security forces. As of 17 September 2011, 75 French soldiers have died. All French forces left Afghanistan in 2012.

Georgia

Georgia deployed 174 troops to Afghanistan, and deployed 1,900 peacekeepers in 2010 for peacekeeping and counter-terrorism operations. A total of 750–800 soldiers are being deployed since 2010, making Georgia the highest net contributor per capita to the coalition forces.

Germany

In 2002, Germany had 2,560 personnel in the region. The German Navy has had three Frigates, one Fast Patrol Boat Group (five units) and four supply ships operating out of

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

, in the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...

. A German

Airbus A310 The Airbus A310 is a wide-body aircraft, designed and manufactured by Airbus Industrie, then a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers. Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the A300, the first twin-jet wide-bod ...

aircraft was on alert in Germany for use as a medevac platform. German forces have since supported the ISAF mission. Although nominally under OEF command, the KSK worked under ISAF command since 2005, carrying out numerous operations in the vicinity of the German deployment in Kabul, including a successful raid on an al-Qaeda safehouse for suicide bombers in October 2006.

GSG9 , formerly (), is the police tactical unit of the German Federal Police ''( Bundespolizei)''. The state police (''Landespolizei'') maintain their own tactical units known as the ''Spezialeinsatzkommando'' (SEK). The identities of GSG 9 members ...

is also deployed to the Kabul area, providing specialist close protection to German officials and facilities. KSK operators have commented in the German media about the restrictions placed on them by their national caveats and stated that a preference for working directly for the Americans as part of OEF-A as they had done as part of

Task Force K-Bar Task Force K-Bar, originally the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-South (CJSOTF-South), was led by the United States and composed of special operations forces from seven nations. It undertook the first major ground deployment in the Wa ...

.Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015 , p.142

Greece

Greek naval vessels have supported the ISAF since 2002.

Hungary

Hungary deployed a total of 3000 troops in 2019, and a special forces battalion.

India

India had offered all operational assistance to the United States, including use of its facilities, in any operations launched in pursuit of the perpetrators of the 11 September attack. Importantly Indian intelligence officials provided the United States with needed information concerning the financing and training of Islamic extremist groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Indian government had also offered the United States the use of its territory for staging any military operations in Afghanistan. On the naval front, India provided a frigate for escorting coalition shipping through the Straits of Malacca, made shipyards available for coalition ship repairs and opened ports for naval port calls. India offered the US its air bases and provided the Northern Alliance with logistical support. The Indian Army opened a hospital in Tajikistan, to treat injured Northern Alliance soldiers. India also loaned Mi-17 helicopters to the Northern Alliance.

Iran

Iran, having viewed the Taliban as an enemy, aided coalition forces in an uprising in

Herat Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safēd ...

Ireland

Ireland permitted US military aircraft to use

Shannon Airport Shannon Airport ( ga, Aerfort na Sionainne) is an international airport located in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. It is adjacent to the Shannon Estuary and lies halfway between Ennis and Limerick. The airport is the third busiest ai ...

as a refuelling hub. Also, Ireland had seven troops deployed to the ISAF's headquarters in Kabul.

Italy

Italy deployed

Col Moschin In geomorphology, a col is the lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks.Whittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, 1984, p. 103. . It may also be called a gap. Particularly rugged and forbidding col ...

and Gruppo Operativo Incursori (GOI) to Afghanistan, Italian Special Operations Forces were not under US-led OEF-A command, instead it operated directly in support of the Italian ISAF Task force-Nibbio, where they carried out local force protection and reconnaissance tasks. At the peak of its deployment, Italy had 4,200 troops stationed in Afghanistan at any given time. Italian naval warships including its only

Carrier Battle Group A carrier battle group (CVBG) is a naval fleet consisting of an aircraft carrier capital ship and its large number of escorts, together defining the group. The ''CV'' in ''CVBG'' is the United States Navy hull classification code for an airc ...

(with the aircraft carrier ) supported combat operations in the North Arabian Sea. Italy deployed a 43-man engineer team to

Bagram Bagram (; Pashto/ fa, بگرام) is a town and seat in Bagram District in Parwan Province of Afghanistan, about 60 kilometers north of the capital Kabul. It is the site of an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband and Panjshir Va ...

, Afghanistan to repair the runway in May 2002.

Japan

Japan provided logistical support on coalition forces and financial, reconstruction and development support.

Kuwait

Kuwait provided basing and overflight permissions for all US and coalition forces.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan allowed US and allied aircraft to use

Latvia

Provided logistical support.

Lithuania

40 Special Forces AITVARAS troops, from November 2002 to 2004. After 2005 Lithuania has deployed up to 268 soldiers. Most of them were deployed in PRT Chaghcharan. Lithuanian special forces were involved in Special Reconnaissance missions, since 2006 they have been in action in southern Afghanistan with British forces.Neville, Leigh, ''Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015 , p.143

North Macedonia

North Macedonia had 244 troops in Afghanistan.

Malaysia

Malaysia provided use of its airspace and logistical support.

Montenegro

Montenegro was scheduled to deploy 40 soldiers, a three-member medical team, and two officers under German command to Afghanistan in 2010.

Netherlands

The Netherlands deployed 165 KCT operators backed up by four Dutch Chinooks in 2005 under the direct command of OEF-A. In 2006 under ISAF mandate, the KCT deployed to

Tarinkot Tarīnkōṭ ( prs, ترين کوت), also spelled as Tarin Kowt, is the capital of Uruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan in the Tarinkot District. Tarinkot city has a population of 71,604 (2015), with some 200 small shops in the city's bazaar ...

Uruzgan Province Uruzgan (Dari), also spelled as Urozgan or Oruzgan, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Uruzgan is located in the center of the country. The population is 436,079, and the province is mostly a tribal society. Tarinkot serves as th ...

to work alongside Australian forces, the KCT conducted long-range reconnaissance and specialist intelligence gathering for both the Dutch Battle Group and ISAF SOF command.Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015 , pp.143-144 The Netherlands helped in 2006 included a build, fight and air support mission in Afghanistan with 2100 soldiers. In 2010 all Netherlands troops returned home and a few months later they began a police training mission with the Marechaussee and the Task Force. The Netherlands troops were members of the ISAF.

New Zealand

New Zealand Prime Minister The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017. The prime minister (informa ...

Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

announced in April 2008 that there would b
additional New Zealand troops
sent to the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Banyan Province, because of concern over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. A member of the

NZSAS The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the Special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins to ...

in Afghanistan, Corporal Bill Apiata, was awarded the

Victoria Cross for New Zealand The Victoria Cross for New Zealand (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour or gallantry in the presence of the enemy to members of the New Zealand Armed Forces. It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and civilians und ...

in 2007 for bravery under fire in 2004. Three other SAS soldiers also received bravery awards for actions during the same mission; two received the

New Zealand Gallantry Decoration The New Zealand Gallantry Decoration (NZGD) is the third level military decoration of the New Zealand armed forces. It was instituted by Royal Warrant on 20 September 1999 as part of the new indigenous New Zealand Gallantry system. The medal, wh ...

and one the New Zealand Gallantry Medal. There are also two C-130 Hercules and one

Boeing 757 The Boeing 757 is an American narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the 727 (a trijet), received its first orders in August 1978. The prototype completed its mai ...

transport aircraft and an unstated number (about 120) of

New Zealand Special Air Service The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the Special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins to ...

special forces soldiers and 2

ANZAC class frigate The ''Anzac'' class (also identified as the ''ANZAC'' class and the MEKO 200 ANZ type) is a ship class of ten frigates; eight operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and two operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). During the 1980s, t ...

s in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...

. In November 2007, a nephew of New Zealand's

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from coun ...

Phil Goff Philip Bruce Goff (born 22 June 1953) is a New Zealand politician. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1981 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2016. He served as leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition between 11 No ...

died in Afghanistan; he was United States Army Captain Matthew Ferrara, who held both American and New Zealand citizenship. In July 2008, the sixth Australian soldier died in Afghanistan, New Zealand-born SAS Signaller Sean McCarthy. The decision was made in August 2009 that NZSAS troops would be sent back to Afghanistan. The Government of New Zealand worked on an exit plan to pull all New Zealand troops out of Afghanistan.

Norway

Norwegian SOF, commanded by ISAF, has been in Afghanistan since 2001. In 2002, a tri-national detachment known as the European Participating Air Forces of 18 Danish, Dutch and Norwegian F-16 ground attack fighters aircraft was deployed to Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan to support operations in Afghanistan. Norway contributed four to six F-16s. Also deployed from Norway were logistic teams, mine clearance teams, special forces groups (from HJK and MJK) and several C-130 transport aircraft. Norway also has an army training base located in Afghanistan. Currently, they have lost one soldier in an RPG attack and one special forces lieutenant in a shoot-out with hostile gunmen. Norway has also lost six soldiers in bomb attacks, including four KJKs in the same attack. Norway redeployed F-16 ground attack aircraft in 2006 as part of a joint Dutch-Norwegian unit supporting expanded NATO operations in Afghanistan. Currently Norway has a little more than 500 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, mainly in the North and in

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

Oman

Oman offered the United States and allies use of its airspace and air bases.

Pakistan

Pakistan has been helping in the war against the Taliban. Pakistan and Iran agreed to open borders to receive the expected increased migration of

refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

from Afghanistan. Earlier, Pakistan had supported the Taliban, especially during the 1996–1998 period when they were establishing control – later relations between the two were not as close. After the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan allocated three airbases to the United States for the invasion of Afghanistan. The US depended on Pakistan for a route to Afghanistan to supply the ISAF forces more than any source.

Poland

A 40-man

JW GROM JW GROM (full name: ''Jednostka Wojskowa GROM im. Cichociemnych Spadochroniarzy Armii Krajowej'', English: ''Military Unit GROM named in honour of the Silent Unseen of the Home Army'') is a Polish special forces unit and forms part of the Spe ...

element deployed to Afghanistan in early 2002, in 2007 both Grom and

JW Komandosów The Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów, commonly called ''JWK'' and formerly known as ''1 Pułk Specjalny Komandosów'' (''1 PSK''), is one of six special forces units currently operating within Poland's ''Centrum Operacji Specjalnych - Dowództwo Ko ...

were deployed to Kandahar (after earlier successful tours of Iraq operating alongside US Navy SEALs) under direct US Command. They weren't restricted by any national caveats-the only restriction placed on them was regarding cross-border operations into Pakistan. Along with Direct Action successes, they were considered very effective in training and mentoring Afghan National Police units.Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015 , pp.144-145 Poland had approximately 2,500 troops, mainly from Wojska Lądowe, and 10 helicopters stationed primarily in Ghazni province. There is also Wojska Specjalne compound: JW Grom (ISAF SOF TF-49), JW Komandosów (ISAF SOF TF-50) (Ghazni prov. Paktika prov.), JW Nil & HHD. Poland has also provided combat engineers and logistical support.

Portugal

Portugal deployed 145 soldiers to Afghanistan, and provided a detachment of

cargo planes. As a NATO member, Portugal supported the invocation of Article V.

Qatar

Qatar offered the United States and allies use of the Al Udeid Airbase.

Romania

40 operators from the 1st Special Operations Battalion "Eagles" were deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 under the direct command of OEF-A, they transitioned to ISAF command the following year and were heavily involved in mentoring Afghan National Army units. The Romanian commitment eventually grew to a full Special Operations Task Group comprising three ODA (Operational Detachment Alphas)-sized elements. They often operated closely with

US Army Special Forces The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army. The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal mis ...

ODAs on joint patrols and mixed ODAs of American and Romanian operators.Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015 , p.144 1,843 Force consisted of a battalion in Qalat, Zabul Province. Additionally, a special forces squad (39 personnel) operated from Tagab in Kapisa Province, and a training detachment of 47 personnel is in Kabul.

Russia

Russia provided a field hospital as well as a hospital in

for allies and Afghan civilians. Russia has also agreed to provide logistic support for the United States forces in Afghanistan to aid in anti-terrorist operations. Russia allowed US and NATO forces to pass through its territory to go to Afghanistan. Russian Special Forces also assisted US and Afghan forces in operations in Afghanistan, by helping with intel and studying the lay of the land.

Slovakia

Slovakia provided sappers and specialists on maintenance and reconstruction of airports and technical equipment for such operations.

Slovenia

Slovenia deployed from 60 to 90 troops in Afghanistan and several IFVs (

Infantry fighting vehicles An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed For ...

) and armoured transport vehicles, and it is considering the possibility of deploying three attack helicopters.

South Korea

South Korea provided logistical support and a field hospital.

Spain

As a NATO member, Spain supported the invocation of Article V of the NATO charter. Spain made available Spanish military bases for military operations. Spanish forces have since supported the ISAF mission with about 2,500 combat troops in Afghanistan plus a helicopter detachment and 3 C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Sudan

Sudan offered heavy and lightweight logistic support.

Sweden

Sweden was in Afghanistan since 2002 and had 900 soldiers there (February 2012). These troops are however NOT part of OEF, but are under the lead of ISAF. Sweden leads the PRT Mazari Sharif

Switzerland

In its first military deployment since 1815, Switzerland deployed 31 soldiers to Afghanistan in 2003, and two Swiss officers had worked with German troops. Swiss forces were withdrawn in February 2008.

Tajikistan

Tajikistan provided use of its airspace, airbases and facilities for humanitarian aid.

Thailand

Thailand offered the United States and its allies a fueling station for aircraft and provided logistical support.

Turkey

Turkey offered the United States use of its airspace and air refuelling for US aircraft deploying to the region. Turkey would later deploy troops to Afghanistan as part of ISAF. Turkey also provided logistical support.

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan offered the use of its airspace.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates provided 3 security personnel. Special Forces are also in Afghanistan (Wikileaks) and

Al Minhad Air Base Al Minhad Air Base ( ar, قاعدة المنهاد الجوية, , also just Minhad Air Base) is a military installation in the United Arab Emirates. The base is located approximately south of Dubai and is operated by the United Arab Emirates Air ...

is a support hub for Australia, New Zealand, and previously Canadian air forces.

Ukraine

Ukraine allowed use of its airspace and airbases to the US and its allies, but only for cargo flights. Ukraine is a participant in the NATO led

in Afghanistan and has deployed troops as part of NATO's ISAF mission to the country.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom deployed sea, air and land assets for the invasion against the Taliban/al-Qaeda in 2001, designated

Operation Veritas Operation Veritas was the codename used for British military operations against the Taliban government of Afghanistan in 2001. British forces played a supporting role to the American Operation Enduring Freedom. In addition, the British contributi ...

. The naval element consisted of one , one

amphibious ship An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, as ...

, one

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

, one frigate, three nuclear fleet

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

s and seven Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. The submarines and launched

Tomahawk missile The Tomahawk () Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations. Under contract fr ...

s on targets inside Afghanistan.

Special Boat Service The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...

and

Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...

special forces also deployed. Later

45 Commando 45 Commando Royal Marines (pronounced "four-five commando") is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of th ...

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

deployed as part of Operation Jacana. The

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

contributed

Lockheed L-1011 TriStar The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, also known as the L-1011 (pronounced "El-ten-eleven") and TriStar, is an American medium-to-long-range, wide-body trijet airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation. It was the third wide-body airliner to enter comme ...

and

Vickers VC10 The Vickers VC10 is a mid-sized, narrow-body long-range British jet airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and first flown at Brooklands, Surrey, in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance route ...

tanker aircraft,

Boeing E-3 Sentry The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an American airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft developed by Boeing. E-3s are commonly known as AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System). Derived from the Boeing 707 airliner, it provides all-wea ...

surveillance and control aircraft,

Hawker Siddeley Nimrod The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod is a retired maritime patrol aircraft developed and operated by the United Kingdom. It was an extensive modification of the de Havilland Comet, the world's first operational jet airliner. It was originally designed ...

surveillance aircraft, Nimrod MR2 maritime reconnaissance aircraft,

English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havil ...

reconnaissance aircraft,

Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...

air transport aircraft and

Boeing Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, Ch ...

helicopters from 27 Squadron. A total of 453 members of the British Armed Forces have died during OEF (see

British forces casualties in Afghanistan The United Kingdom was one of the first countries to take part in Operation Enduring Freedom against the Taliban regime in autumn 2001. As of 22 February 2020 there has been a total of 457 fatalities of British Forces personnel including Min ...

). Since initial deployments supporting OEF, British forces took part in the ISAF mission, whilst British special forces have worked with both OEF and ISAF. In January 2006, Defence Secretary John Reid announced the UK would send a PRT with several thousand personnel to Helmand for at least three years. This had been planned as part of the gradual expansion of ISAF's area of responsibility from the Kabul region to the rest of Afghanistan. An initial strength of 5,700 personnel in Afghanistan was planned, which would stabilise to around 4,500 for the rest of the deployment.

United States

In 2002, there were approximately 7,000 troops in Afghanistan, including

United States Army Rangers United States Army Rangers, according to the US Army's definition, are personnel, past or present, in any unit that has the official designation "Ranger". The term is commonly used to include graduates of the US Army Ranger School, even if t ...

, troops from the

10th Mountain Division The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to re ...

, 187th Infantry Regt. "Rakkasans"

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...

(Air Assault),

82nd Airborne The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops Magazine'', 25 November 2012. Archived from thorig ...

and

US Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. Marines of the

15th Marine Expeditionary Unit The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU) is one of seven such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a strength of about 2,200 per ...

and

26th Marine Expeditionary Unit The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) is one of seven such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. It is an air-ground task force with a strength of about 2,400 personnel when at full strength during a deployment. ...

were among the first conventional forces into Afghanistan in support of

on 25 November 2001. The 1-87th IN, 10th Mountain Division deployed elements assisting special forces elements on 25 or 26 Nov at Mazaar Sharif and securing Bagram airfield from British special forces, CIAT work in IED-detection technologies, and general regional intelligence gathering and networking protocols for support teams.https://info.publicintelligence.net/DIA-AfghanHistory.pdf The

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

aircraft carrier with an eight-ship and submarine task group, followed by with nine other ships and submarines, deployed for operations over Afghanistan at different stages to the end of 2002. with an 11-ship and submarine task group also deployed. Additionally, was deployed from 20 June 2002 until 20 December 2002 in support of Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Roughly 150 aircraft were initially deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom, including some two dozen

Boeing B-52 The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic aircraft, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the ...

bombers and support aircraft. In 2007, 23,000 American troops were in Afghanistan, in the OEF-A. Other US troops were deployed as part of

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...

had allowed the US to place troops on the ground as well as use the Uzbek airbase, K2, for support activities and for deployment and command and control of Special Forces into all of Afghanistan except for the Khandahar region. K2 is no longer in use by the US

References

Footnotes

Citations

External links

US Department of DefenseUS State Department
{{DEFAULTSORT:Participants In Operation Enduring Freedom War on Terror orders of battle Military of Afghanistan War on terror * United States Marine Corps in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)