NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Developing Afghan security forces

What is the ANSF?

The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) comprise the Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan Air Force (AAF) and the Afghan National Police (ANP). Together with the Afghan Local Police and National Directorate of Security (NDS) forces– Afghanistan’s intelligence agency – the ANSF is the primary means of securing the Afghan people, preventing insurgent safe havens and deterring the Taliban from returning to power.

• NATO’s Training Mission - Afghanistan

  Ultimately, Afghans must be able to secure and stabilise their country themselves. Developing professional, capable and self-sustaining Afghan National Security Forces is therefore at the centre of ISAF’s efforts in Afghanistan.

  At the April 2009 Strasbourg-Kehl Summit, NATO Heads of State and Government decided to expand the ISAF mission to oversee higher-level training for the ANA, and training and mentoring for the ANP. NATO’s Training Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A) was established in November 2009 to bring together NATO and national training efforts in this regard. It works in close partnership with the Afghan Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior, as well as in collaboration with the European Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) and the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF). Currently, 38 nations contribute to NTM-A. NTMA’s key task is to train the Afghan security forces, including “training the trainers”, so that, under effective Afghan civilian control, the Afghan forces are fully capable of tackling security challenges on a sustainable and irreversible basis.

  The launch of NTM-A was made hand in hand with the establishment of ISAF’s Joint Command (IJC), which is focused on operations. While NTM-A focuses on training the initial recruits and building the institutional training capability of the Afghan national security forces, development of the Afghan army and police continues in the field. The IJC is responsible for developing fielded ANSF units through advising and assisting, with ISAF forces gradually taking on more of an enabling ‘Security Force Assistance’ role (see below)

  Training and mentoring of Afghan National Security Forces is carried out by NATO’s Military Advisory Teams (MATs) and Police Advisory Teams (PATs). Additional ISAF advisor teams are provided to the Afghan Operation Coordination Centres (OCCs), which support the ANSF commanders in coordinating the employment of forces in their areas. This enables implementation of the transition process until end 2014 and will also guide NATO’s commitment to Afghanistan over the long term.

  Capabilities

  NTM-A places a strong focus on leadership development, including “training the trainers”, and on capability and capacity development.

  • Since November 2009, the ANSF have trained over 50,000 officers and NCOs through a variety of leadership courses. Leadership institutions, such as the

  Afghan National Military Academy and the Afghan National Police Academy, have been established in Afghanistan to provide the ANSF with a long-term self-generation capability.

  • The Afghan Security Forces now boasts 10,000 Special Forces troops

  • Trained leaders have increased by 500% - approximately 85% of training of the Afghan security forces is now carried out by Afghans themselves. All training at the Kabul Military Training Centre (KMTC) is led and taught by ANA personnel, where over 100 instructors provide instruction to between 7,000 and 9,000 ANA soldiers every day.
  • Police training centres are also being handed over to the Afghans. Full leadership of the largest Afghan National Police training centre in the north of Afghanistan was handed over to the Afghans in April.
  • Back in 2009, 86% of all new ANA recruits were illiterate and there was no mandatory literacy training. By contrast, nearly 212,000 ANSF have now completed basic literacy training or higher.

  This training is having an effect in the field. The Afghan forces are already taking responsibility for the security of 75% of the Afghan population. And in the first six months of this year, over 80 per cent of all operations were led by Afghans.

  Target growth

  In June 2011, the Security Standing Committee of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board agreed on an increase of the Afghan National Army growth target to 195,000 (including 8,000 Afghan Air Force – AAF) and for the Afghan National Police to 157,000. This recruitment target of 352,000 has been reached.
  
  Attrition does however remain a problem. Reducing attrition is essential for the long-term viability of the ANSF, especially with respect to retaining quality personnel. Average monthly attrition rates are 2.2% in the ANA and 1.2% in the ANP – the ANSF’s goal is to reach an attrition rate of less than 1.4%.

  The sustainment of the ANSF post-2014 remains the responsibility of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the International Community as a whole. At the International Afghanistan Conference in Bonn on 5 December 2011, the wider International Community decided to support the training, equipping, financing and capability development of the ANSF beyond the end of the transition period. At the NATO Chicago Summit in May 2012, NATO Allies and ISAF partners reaffirmed their strong commitment to this process and will play their part in the financial sustainment of the ANSF.

  A representative force

  There are approximately 1,800 women in uniformed positions across the Afghan National Security Forces, which comprises less than 1% of Afghan army and police personnel strength. However, this remains a historic milestone for the Afghan women who up until just 10 years ago had been deprived of their basic rights. Considerable efforts have also been invested in building an inclusive army that provides a cadre of women soldiers and reflects the overall ethnic make-up of the country. The Ministry of Defence has developed special recruitment drive to increase the level of southern Pashtun participation, which has been on the constant rise.

  Discussions on the post-2014 size and cost of the ANSF are currently ongoing between the International Community and the Afghan authorities.

  Recruitment and vetting

  The ANSF’s recruitment target of 352,000 has been reached. The recruitment of potential Afghan soldiers and police follows a strict vetting process, which includes eight steps:

  1. Valid national identity card
  2. Two letters from elders/guarantors
  3. Personal family information, to include photos
  4. Criminal record check from the Ministry of Interior
  5. Application with validation stamp from recruiting authority
  6. Drug screening
  7. Medical screening
  8. Biometric data collection

  A nation-wide programme to screen and re-validate every ANSF member already in service is currently ongoing. All ANSF members are re-screened following return from leave.

  Counter-Infiltration Plan

  On 14 March 2012, following a request by NATO Defence Ministers, the North Atlantic Council endorsed a plan to reduce the risk of attacks on ISAF by Afghan national security forces personnel. The plan was developed by the commander of ISAF in close cooperation with his Afghan counterparts and is being implemented.

  The plan aims at strengthening ISAF security measures; revising and improving vetting and monitoring procedures for Afghan national security forces; and intensifying cultural awareness training for both ISAF and ANSF to bridge the cultural gap.

  In cooperation with ISAF, the ANSF have also undertaken several initiatives to improve their recruitment, vetting and screening processes. In addition, counter-infiltration staff will be embedded with the ANSF and in training schools to monitor the behaviour of Afghan service members. Training is ongoing to increase the number of those officers to 850. ANSF are also to focus on strengthening leadership; ensuring that soldiers and police get adequate leave and regular pay; that weapons are accounted for properly, and that all ANSF are medically screened and drug tested.

• Sustaining the ANSF

  Since 2009, NATO’s ANA Trust Fund has been the main conduit for the International Community to support the long-term sustainment of the ANA, while the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan remains the primary vehicle for supporting the sustainment of the ANP. The discussion is underway on funding mechanisms that would be most suitable for supporting the ANSF sustainment post-2014.

  The NATO-ANA Trust Fund

  The NATO-ANA Trust Fund supports the following activities:

  • ANA sustainment
  • ANSF long-term literacy, English language training and professional military education,
  • Transportation and installation costs for equipment donations by ISAF nations to the ANA, purchase of ANA equipment and services for engineering infrastructure projects, in- and out-of-country training.

  The NATO-ANA Trust Fund acts in complement of other bilateral and multinational trust funds which support the ANSF financially and with equipment donations. The US Afghan Security Forces Funding represents the most significant bilateral financial initiative.

  The Law and Order Trust Fund established by the United Nations Development Programme supports the Afghan National Police, whereas the NATO ANA Trust Fund allows the broader international community to support the capacity and capability development of the Afghan National Army.

  As of May 2012, national contributions and pledges made to the NATO-ANA Trust Fund total 489,088,425 Euros.

  The NATO Equipment Donation Programme

  Created in 2006, the NATO Equipment Donation Programme provides a mechanism through which Allies donate essential equipment, from uniforms and medical equipment to ammunition and helicopters.

  The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) Helicopter Maintenance Trust Fund

  Launched in March 2011, the NRC Trust Fund provides vitally-needed maintenance and repair capacity, including the provision of spare parts and technician training, to the Afghan Air Force helicopter fleet.

  Many ISAF nations also provide support to the ANSF on a bilateral basis.

• Transition to ANSF leadership: The SFA Concept

  Security Force Assistance, or SFA, is the way in which ISAF supports the Afghan military and police to deliver security. It is the type of assistance which is provided to generate, employ and sustain the Afghan security forces to support the government and people of Afghanistan, throughout the transition process until the end of 2014. The SFA model includes partnering and advising the Afghans as well as providing combat support as required.

  SFA requires ISAF to increasingly adopt a supporting and advisory role with partnering units and Advisor Teams working closely with their Afghan counterparts. As Afghan forces become more capable, ISAF troops will reduce the level of support they give. But it is important to note that throughout the SFA period, ISAF will continue to operate in a combat role if such support is requested by Afghan security forces. The Advisor Teams are also able to provide access to coalition ‘enabling’ capabilities such as attack helicopters, medical evacuation, intelligence, surveillance, engineer support and logistics support as necessary.

  However, transition of security is not merely a reallocation of responsibility from ISAF to the Afghan security forces, but also a shift in primacy within the security forces from the military to the police. This is because, as the situation in the country improves, a civilian policing role becomes a more appropriate mechanism for providing security.

  Transition to an Afghan lead is based on Afghan security capacity and does not denote an immediate reduction of coalition forces or resources.

• When will the mission evolve to an SFA model?

  ISAF started to implement the Security Force Assistance model in spring 2012. It is a phased process that allows ISAF troops to facilitate the transfer of full security responsibility to Afghan security forces as their capabilities improve, in keeping with the end of 2014 transition timeline.

  Progression of Afghan forces through the stages of transition to independent lead for security is determined by their evolving capability and by conditions on the ground. Because progression is conditions based, it is bound to be uneven throughout the country. Different Afghan security force units are, at any one time, at different stages of development, and will therefore progress through transition at different rates.

  The last provinces will begin transitioning to Afghan security lead by the middle of 2013. This moment will mark a milestone: Afghan authorities will for the first time assume responsibility for leading security operations across Afghanistan. ISAF will remain in support, but it will not lead operations.

  The training, advising and assisting of the Afghan National Security Forces will continue after transition.