Countering Taliban IEDs with intelligence, training and equipment

The International Security Assistance Force's strategy for defeating the improvised explosive device threat in Afghanistan can be characterised by three main elements - attacking the system, defeating the device and preparing the force - senior British officers said yesterday.

A soldier from 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh's Fire Support Company searches for improvised explosive devices during a patrol in Nad 'Ali

Major General Gordon Messenger, the Chief of the Defence Staff's Strategic Communications Officer, and Colonel Peter Smith, Assistant Director of Counter-IED at Land Forces Headquarters, reiterated that the IED menace is being countered through intelligence, training and equipment at a briefing to the media in MOD's Main Building on Thursday 1 July 2010.

Reminding the audience that while improvised explosive devices are far from a new phenomenon and that around 300 are found every month outside Iraq and Afghanistan, Major General Messenger said that it was in Afghanistan that their use had become 'unprecedented'.

Major General Messenger said that the fight against the IED threat was far more than the lone bomb disposal expert on the ground and the 'long walk' to disarming the device. He said it was a pan-defence and pan-government effort taking in expertise and resources not only from the military but from the Foreign Office, Home Office and police, as well as many others in the UK and abroad.

It is these other departments and agencies that, along with Defence, are working on the first pillar of the strategy - 'attacking the system'.

Major General Messenger explained:

"Whilst we are absolutely continuing to pay utmost attention to 'defeat the device' and continue to plough enormous amounts of energy, investment and technology into improving that, it will never be the sole card that plays the trick and we are putting a lot more into 'attacking the system'.

"This is about preventing the IED being laid in the first place and here it is about understanding the organisations and the networks that are responsible for placing these in the ground.

"Here we have to view the people that do this as nothing more than criminals, part of criminal networks, and therefore tackled in the same way that anyone would tackle a criminal network.

"That requires us to understand that network and it requires an enormous intelligence-gathering effort, the span of which would be difficult to describe."

Two large containers packed with homemade explosives discovered at Forward Operating Base Talibjan

He went on to say that at the low-tech end of the market UK forces in Afghanistan are increasingly understanding this network for themselves and providing essential information:

"The guys on the ground are learning more and more about the threat that they face and therefore developing their means of tackling it," Major General Messenger said.

He added that there is also a very substantial high-tech approach to the problem, not only in deployment of cross-government agencies from this country and from other nations, but also through things like airborne surveillance and other means of collecting intelligence which require a very high level of technology:

"We are improving all the time our ability in what we call 'permanent wide area surveillance' so that we can identify nefarious activity as it is being conducted and work it back to attacking the network.

"That is not a panacea and never will be a panacea - it has to be seen as an overall approach. But the bottom line is every single member of the task force is part of that intelligence-gathering effort.

"Part of that is gathering forensics, analysing the forensics and knowing what constitutes something of intelligence value and what doesn't. That is something that is much more instinctive in the minds of every soldier."

Major General Messenger stressed that there is an international dimension to this intelligence-gathering effort, and it's not simply the Brits doing it alone:

"We are also looking beyond Afghanistan in terms of the provision of some of the more sophisticated components and in the provision of finance that supports these networks.

"We are also working hard with the Afghan Government in this regard and there have been a number of legislative changes which support this.

A soldier practises detecting improvised explosive devices

"An example would be the recent banning of ammonium nitrate by the Afghan Government, ammonium nitrate being a fertiliser that can be very quickly used to generate homemade explosives.

"But at the heart of attacking the system is good, honest counter-insurgency. It is about separating the population from the insurgent so that insurgents cannot feel comfortable and cannot operate with impunity.

"We are quite often seeing villages with a lot of IEDs in their area coming to us and saying we can't go about our business, and clearance operations are being targeted to clear these areas to allow entire villages to go about their business with a degree of normality."

Moving to the second pillar of the strategy, Major General Messenger explained that 'defeating the device' is about finding these devices once they have been placed and neutralising and destroying them once they have been found:

"In terms of our ability to find and detect the devices we are at the cutting-edge of science in providing technology to people on the ground to find these devices before they go off," Major General Messenger said.

"There is much more sharing of information internationally on the technology but the UK capability is as good and if not better than anything else that is out there, and is recognised as such by those in the field in Afghanistan.

"But it isn't just about technology, it is about understanding the terrain that you are operating in and it is about fairly low level ability to detect change and detect ground signs. It is here that we find that operating alongside the Afghans in a partnering approach is paying real dividends.

"We are also seeing much more in hand-ins and indications from the local population which is a sign that a) they feel highly threatened by this threat but also b) that they feel sufficiently comfortable to do so.

"What we are therefore achieving is a significantly higher rate of find, and the ratio of find to explode is good and getting better.

A Trojan armoured engineer tank in Helmand province - Trojan vehicles can be equipped with the Python trailer-mounted, rocket-propelled mine-clearing system

"On protected mobility, the level of protection that is afforded our people, both individual protection and when in-vehicle, is as good if not better than anyone else. And again this is at the very cutting-edge of technology.

"But the problem is in a population-focused campaign you have to get out of those vehicles and the bottom line is you can't out-armour your way out of this problem."

Finally, Major General Messenger explained that the third element of the strategy was about 'preparing the force' and that this issue is now in the 'bloodstream' of everyone in uniform, and the counter-IED awareness goes right back to basic training:

"This is not simply about pre-deployment training, this is something that everyone is acutely aware of.

"We are not simply training the UK troops, we are also training the Afghan security forces in this regard, and we are also improving the awareness of the Afghan population through a series of shuras and meetings to make sure they understand what they can do about it.

"We are training people not just to be defensive, we are training people to attack the system, and that involves the instinct for intelligence-gathering and an instinct for forensic awareness."

He said that there has been heavy investment in the training estate in this country and many bases now have training lanes to allow troops to develop not only the technical skills to find and neutralise devices but also the situational awareness to spot the tell-tale signs.

Pictures: Corporal Barry Lloyd RLC, Staff Sergeant Mark Jones.

US forces move into Kajaki as Royal Marines increase presence in Sangin

ISAF has today announced that British forces in Afghanistan have handed responsibility for security in the town of Kajaki in northern Helmand province to US forces.

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion The Rifles aboard an assault boat on Kajaki's lake earlier this year

The reconfiguration, ordered by ISAF commanders, is part of an ongoing rebalancing of troops following the uplift of coalition forces in Helmand province and will better support the strategy of winning over the civilian population by protecting them from Taliban insurgents.

ISAF force numbers in Helmand have increased from around 10,000 to 30,000 in recent months - in addition to 10,000 members of the Afghan National Security Forces.

The change in command and control in this area will mean that UK forces who have been based in Kajaki can now be released to turn their attention to other high priority tasks.

Around 150 UK personnel, mainly part of the 40 Commando Battle Group, will now redeploy to thicken and deepen the British presence in Sangin.

This will allow them to continue work to improve security in Sangin to better protect the population while accelerating the growth of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion The Rifles patrol Kajaki's lake in northern Helmand province

Major General Gordon Messenger said:

"British forces are redeploying from Kajaki with their heads held high with the knowledge that they have changed the area for the better.

"The increased security that they have provided in partnership with Afghan personnel has allowed vital work to take place on the Kajaki Dam. More access to power will mean that facilities and businesses continue to grow and local people can get back to the business of farming their lands.

"US forces are now ready to build on this work and ensure that further progress is made in Kajaki."

The security that Afghan and UK forces, working in partnership, have provided in Kajaki in the past four years has allowed the refurbishment of a hydroelectric turbine at the Kajaki Dam, providing vital power to areas of Lashkar Gah, Musa Qal'ah and Sangin.

As a result, local health services, education and trade have been boosted by the increase in the amount of power provided to schools, clinics, government offices and local businesses.

In addition, ANSF and UK forces have been driving the insurgents away from the population centres, making local people safer and allowing them to go about their business free from Taliban intimidation.

The announcement was made in a briefing to the media in the MOD's Main Building in London; also addressing the press was Major General Richard Mills, US 1st Marine Division commander and commander of the new Regional Command (South West) in Helmand province.

In addition to the force transfer in Kajaki, Major General Mills spoke of the wider force laydown changes and praised the achievements made by British forces so far.

A patrol by the 40 Commando Police Mentoring Troop from Forward Operating Base Jackson in Sangin

Major General Mills said:

"On preparation for becoming an independent regional command, the UK brigade under Brigadier Felton came under our command and I'm going to say that for me it's an honour to have them as part of this force; they bring with them a magnificent record of accomplishments within the very key districts of the central valley and the very tough but critical assignments in Sangin and Kajaki Dam.

"Their performance has been nothing short of magnificent.

"I believe that progress made by the UK forces within the very vital central river valley area and against significant opposition has been remarkable and has clearly shaped conditions for future transition of security responsibility back to the Afghan authorities.

"The central Helmand river valley is our centre of effort, the centre of my attention, and will remain so in the months ahead.

"What happens there influences conditions throughout Helmand province and conditions in the Kandahar area. It's key ground. The bulk of the 1.5 million residents of the Helmand province live there.

"That is where the UK forces are mainly based. And look for progress to continue there and to expand in the months ahead."

Focusing on Sangin Major General Mills said that a high price had been paid by British forces for progress in the area but that progress was being made and troops were focused on the mission in hand:

"We are consistently pushing out further and further in the district centre," he said, "providing more and more security and consistently separating the insurgents from the local population.

A Royal Marine from 40 Commando on patrol in Sangin

"Let me repeat how impressed I've been with [what] the UK forces have accomplished to date throughout the zone.

"Again they hold much of the key ground within our battle space; they have supported critical economic and governmental development within our key districts and they have partnered extraordinarily well with the Afghan security forces and raised the capability of those forces significantly.

"Now truth be told there's still much hard fighting left to do, and there's still improvement to be made in Afghan security capacity, but progress is steady.

"Our troops are the best in the world. They operate extraordinarily well in the coalition environment. They naturally function as part of a team. They partner well with local forces, both the police and the army, and they embrace their Afghan counterparts as fellow warriors.

"The troops within this command understand the mission. Their motivation remains high. They understand the price they sometimes have to pay. But they are mission-focused."

Command and control changes in southern Afghanistan

Changes to the command and control of ISAF forces in southern Afghanistan, that will see the current Regional Command (South) split in two to better reflect the significant changes on the ground in recent months, have been announced today.

The announcement from ISAF, the International Security Assistance Force, confirms that the present Regional Command (South) will be split into two new headquarters.

A new Regional Command (South West), based in Helmand, will oversee Helmand and Nimruz provinces; while the existing Regional Command (South), headquartered in Kandahar, will continue to control ISAF forces in Kandahar, Daykundi, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces.

This change, which is based on the military advice of ISAF commanders on the ground, reflects a number of significant changes over recent months and was welcomed today by the Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox.

The recent changes on the ground include a large increase in the number of ISAF troops in southern Afghanistan - up from 35,000 in October 2009 to over 50,000 by this summer - and a greater complexity in the conduct of operations, with major ongoing security efforts in Kandahar and central Helmand.

The new command structure will also enable a better alignment with Afghan National Army units, with 205 Corps continuing to work with Regional Command (South) [RC(S)] and 215 Corps partnered with the new Regional Command (South West).

The decision to divide responsibility between the two headquarters will help provide the best focus of command support for ISAF forces across the region.

Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox, said:

"I welcome these changes to the command and control of our forces in Afghanistan which are based on sound military rationale and are in the interests of the overall coalition strategy and mission.

"Through their sheer professionalism, bravery and sacrifice, British forces have made real progress in Helmand. They will continue to do so working alongside Afghan, American and other ISAF partners making up an international effort of more than 45 nations."

Major General Gordon Messenger, the Chief of the Defence Staff's Strategic Communications Officer, said:

"This command and control change makes complete sense and is welcome. The span and complexity of the command challenge in southern Afghanistan has increased enormously in recent months and these changes provide the best command support to the troops on the ground.

"The change will also align the ISAF military structure in the south with the structure of the Afghan National Army, enabling a greater partnering capacity between ISAF and Afghan forces.

"The UK has been closely involved in the preparations for this change and entirely agrees with its rationale. We are well accustomed to operating within a multinational coalition command structure and are entirely content that the best interests of the UK force will be maintained under the new arrangements."

Looking to the future, Regional Command (South West) will operate under a rotational command, agreed in principle to be shared between US and UK forces. The first commander will be Major General Richard Mills of the US Marine Corps (USMC).


British troops talking with Afghan locals during a patrol through the village of Gorup-e Shesh Kalay

As part of the new arrangements, command and control boundaries will change within Helmand province.

Following the split, Task Force Helmand (TFH) will come under the command of the US Marine Corps' 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (1 MEF), under Major General Mills. TFH will retain responsibility for central Helmand.

Major General Richard Mills, Commanding General of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), said:

"Regional Command (South West) will ensure that ISAF and Afghan forces in Helmand and Nimruz provinces achieve the objectives of Operation MOSHTARAK, which are intended to assert the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's presence in the region.

"Since taking command six weeks ago I have been hugely impressed by the momentum and achievements of RC(S) under General Carter.

"My predecessors in the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and the British troops of Task Force Helmand have distinguished themselves in the service of the Afghan people. Real progress is being made.

"This will be the first time that the USMC has led an ISAF Regional Command. The British officers in my coalition headquarters and Task Force Helmand bring invaluable experience and knowledge. We are partnered with ANSF [Afghan National Security Forces] at all levels and conducting joint operations throughout Helmand province.

"While tough fighting remains, I see evidence daily of progress that will bring about lasting stability across southern Afghanistan.

"This will be a significant year for the future of Afghanistan. Coalition forces, alongside our Afghan counterparts, will continue to support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as it delivers legitimate governance, improved security and lasting economic development."

Additionally, under the changes, the command of the 1,100-strong British Battle Group based in Sangin and Kajaki will transfer from Task Force Helmand to the US-led Regimental Combat Team (North), which is taking on responsibility for the north of the province.

In common with the other changes to ISAF's command structures, this transfer of command will take effect on 1 June 2010 and is intended to optimise the command support available to the troops on the ground in light of the increased number of ISAF troops and other operational assets.

ISAF intends for Regional Command (South West) to become fully operational later this summer. In order to ease the transition, there will be an interim phase where 1 MEF will take responsibility for Helmand and Nimruz but will continue to work to Regional Command (South). This arrangement is planned to run from 1 June.

The UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand will work closely with the headquarters of Regional Command (South West) and will continue its vital role in delivering governance and socio-economic development in the province.

UK forces are committed to their enduring deployment to central Helmand and there are no plans to deploy UK forces from Helmand to anywhere else.