Operation Herrick

Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Since 2003, Herrick has increased in size and breadth to match ISAF's growing geographical intervention in Afghanistan.

A British soldier raising the Union Flag during a transfer of authority ceremony in Helmand province.

Military details

Operation Herrick has superseded two previous efforts in Afghanistan. The first of these was Operation Veritas, which consisted of support to the war in Afghanistan in October 2001. The last major action of this was a sweep in east Afghanistan by 1,700 Royal Marines of Task Force Jacana, which ended in mid-2002. The second was Operation Fingal, which involved leadership and a 2,000 strong contribution for a newly-formed ISAF in Kabul after December 2001. Command was subsequently transferred to Turkey several months later and the British contingent was scaled back to 300. Since then, all operations in Afghanistan have since been conducted under Operation Herrick.

Kabul and north Afghanistan

Between 2002 and 2003, the primary component of Herrick remained the 300 personnel providing security in Kabul and training to the new Afghan National Army (ANA).

In mid 2003, the operation became battalion strength when a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) was established in Mazari Sharif and in Maymana. The UK also provided a rapid reaction force for the area. Overall command of the PRTs was transferred to ISAF in 2004. Sweden and Norway took over these PRTs in 2005 and 2006 respectively to allow the UK to focus on south Afghanistan.

In early 2006, the NATO Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) became the headquarters of ISAF for a year. The attached British infantry and signals personnel raised the number of troops based in Kabul to 1,300.

Kandahar

In 2004, a detachment of six Royal Air Force fighters from Joint Force Harrier was based at Kandahar Airfield to support American OEF forces there. A planned withdrawal in mid-2006 was postponed to provide air support for the new ISAF expansion across the south. The force has since been expanded with more Harriers and an RAF Regiment squadron.

On September 2 2006, a Nimrod MR2 patrol aircraft supporting Canadian forces in Operation Medusa crashed near Kandahar, killing all 14 service members aboard. It is believed to be an accident.

4 more Harrier GR9s were committed in May 2007 bringing them to a total of eleven, along with an extra C130 transport plane and four Sea Kings from the Fleet Air Arm

The majority of aircraft deployed for Herrick are based at Kandahar.

Helmand

Mission

Map showing Helmand province in Afghanistan where British troops are now mostly located.

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.

The move was to be a coordinated with other NATO countries to relieve the predominantly American OEF presence in the south. To this end, the Netherlands and Canada would lead similar deployments in Oruzgan and Kandahar respectively. Several other countries would support this move with troops. In the case of Helmand, Denmark sent 280 troops while Estonia would increase their Helmand force to 150 soldiers.

Local Taliban figures voiced opposition to the incoming force and pledged to resist it.

Activities

Before the main deployment, the Royal Engineers constructed a central fortification, Camp Bastion, to serve as a main base. A camp for an Afghan force was built nearby. On May 1, the US OEF force was relieved in a ceremony. At the same time, the United States began a major offensive, Operation Mountain Thrust, against the insurgency in south Afghanistan. This brought ISAF forces into open conflict with the Taliban.

British forces originally tried to provide security to reconstruction, but instead became engaged in combat. Platoon houses were soon established in northern settlements, due to pressure from the provincial governor for an aggressive stance. However, these quickly became a focus for heavy fighting. One of these was in Sangin, which was cut off and surrounded by the Taliban in early July. Six soldiers were killed in Sangin District over the subsequent period. On 16 July, with support from American and Canadian forces, 200 paratroopers were airlifted to take the town.

In early August, 500 paratroopers and ANA soldiers were airlifted to Musa Quala after violence flared around the platoon house. One British soldier was killed in the battle. On 25 August, several hundred soldiers were involved a second operation to escort a group of Afghan policemen as a show of force..

The fighting became intense when, to the surprise of the British paratroopers, the Taliban made direct assaults on the British held compounds, getting up close to pepper them with small arms fire, RPGs, and mortar rounds. The Taliban wanted to strike a major propaganda coup by forcing the British to abandon the towns in full retreat. The British responded in kind with airstrikes and artillery, often aimed right outside the compound walls in what became a close quarter battle.

Casualties started to mount on both sides, with the Taliban taking by far the worst of it, as their decision to face the British head on had exposed them to the full scope of NATO's heavier firepower. As the fighting raged it started to take a heavy toll in terms of civilian lives lost and damage to local infrastructure. The NATO forces were growing increasingly concerned that they were alienating the locals with such heavy handed tactics, erroding their attempts to win "hearts and minds". It was equally becoming clear that the British simply did not have the number of troops and helicopters to sustain the platoon house strategy indefinitely. Realising that the situation could not carry on unchanged, British commanders approached local tribal leaders to organise a temporary ceasefire. [1]

Through pressure from the local tribal elders and their mounting casualties, the Taliban agreed to withdraw from the contested towns at the same time as the British, having been unable to realise their goal of forcefully expelling the foreign troops. NATO estimated Taliban losses over the summer period to be around 1000 killed in Helmand alone . [2][3]

The British commander, Brig. Ed Butler, later said the deal had come just 48 hours before Musa Quala was planned to be abandoned because of the risks support helicopters were taking. As a result of the deal, British forces peacefully withdrew from the settlement in mid October. The truce drew criticism from American commanders who believed it showed a sign of weakness on NATO's part. The deal would again be called into question when the Taliban broke the truce and retook the town of Musa Qala in February 2007 following the killing of a leading commander in an American airstrike.[4] The town was eventually retaken by ISAF and afghan forces.

By late September, 31 British soldiers had died in Afghanistan over the year. Two of whom, Corporal Bryan Budd and Corporal Mark Wright, were posthumously awarded the British Armed Forces' highest awards for gallantry. Brig. Butler declared the Taliban to have been "tactically defeated" for the time being.

Response

The stress of operations was admitted to be unexpected by the Ministry of Defence, and there was increasing pressure to send more forces to Helmand. Lt. Gen. David J. Richards likened the deployment to be the heaviest, consistent combat the British Armed Forces has experienced since the Korean War. As a result, Herrick has been increased to 7,700 personnel.

Additional aircraft, artillery pieces (including 4GMLRS) and armoured vehicles (such as Warrior IFVs) were also sent.[5]

Operation Volcano

Main article: Operation Volcano

In early February 2007, at the end of a six week operation, the Royal Marines cleared 25 Taliban compounds in the proximity of the Kajaki hydroelectric dam in order to allow repair work to be conducted on the machinery.[6]

Operation Achilles

British Land Rovers patrol Sangin.

Main article: Operation Achilles

In between early March to late May 2007, the British led Operation Achilles, NATO's drive to push the Taliban out of Helmand.

In early May 2007, Operation silver, a sub-operation of Achilles saw the successful expulsion of Taliban fighters from the town of Sangin, it was followed in mid May by Operation Silicon, where British led forces removed the Taliban from Gereshk and much of the surrounding countryside. The Royal Engineers then set up three camps in the area for the Afghan National Army.

Operation Lastay Kulang

Main article: Operation Pickaxe-Handle

A followup to Achilles, Operation Lastay Kulang was launched on May 30 near the village of Kajaki Sofle , 10 kilometres to the south-west of Kajaki, to remove a Taliban force encamped there. A force of 1000 British troops and another thousand ISAF soldiers, alongside elements of the Afghan National Army moved into the area to confront the insurgents. On the night of May 30th, the American 82nd Airborne Division conducted an air assault on enemy positions, at which time one of their Chinook was apparently shot down, leading to the deaths of five Americans, a Briton and a Canadian.[7] By the second of June, ISAF and Afghan forces had isolated several pockets of insurgent fighters in the north and south of the Upper Sangin valley. In an effort to win over local support, the Royal Engineers have started work on several reconstruction projects, such as digging irrigation ditches to help farmers in the area.[8]

Taliban spring offensive crushed

By late May 2007, the Taliban spring offensive promised for march of 2007 has so far failed to materialize. This is put down in part to the massive casualties the Taliban took while trying to storm British strongholds across Helmand and by the systematic targeting of their mid level commanders during operations over the winter which has hampered their ability to coordinate large troop movements.[9][10]

A British Army spokesman has said however he wouldn't "discount the Taliban as a spent force just yet", as an "increase in enemy tempo" is expected and already the number of clashes has risen from five a day to 15, lasting from 10 minutes to 11 hours.

In a new development, it has been reported that the Taliban may be recruiting child soldiers from the tribal areas of neighbouring Pakistan to fight coalition forces.[11]

Casualties

Main article: British Forces casualties in Afghanistan since 2001

As of September 9th, 2007, the British forces have suffered 78 fatalities, and upwards of 140 combat injuries of varying degree. The vast majority of fatalities have taken place since the redeployment of British forces to the Taliban stronghold of Helmand province, as only 5 men died between April 2002 and early March 2006.

46 fatalities are classed as "KIA", 6 as "Died of Wounds sustained from Action", 3 as "Killed by friendly fire" and 23 are known to have died either as a result of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents, or have not yet officially been assigned a cause of death pending the outcome of an investigation.

See also

• British forces casualties in Afghanistan since 2001
• International Security Assistance Force
• Operation Herrick order of battle
• Provincial reconstruction team

External links

• Operations in Afghanistan - Ministry of Defence
• Operations in Afghanistan - Permanent Joint Headquarters
• Stop the war campaign