Use of the Danish armed forces in Afghanistan

The use of the Danish armed forces in Afghanistan began with a parliamentary resolution on January 11, 2002. The Danish armed forces were involved in Operation Enduring Freedom and they were first stationed in Kabul as DANCON / ISAF (Danish Contingent / ISAF) as part of ISAF , then This was followed by a mission in northeast Afghanistan and, from 2006, another mission in the south.

commitment

As of January 3, 2013, 43 soldiers of the Danish Armed Forces had died in Afghanistan.

Some military operations with Danish participation are:

• Siege of Sangin June 27, 2006 - April 5, 2007
• Siege of Musa Qala July 17, 2006 - September 12, 2006
• Operation Medusa September 2, 2006 - September 17, 2006
• Operation Achilles March 6, 2007 - May 30, 2007
• Operation Pickaxe-Handle May 30, 2007 - June 14, 2007
• Operation Hammer July 24, 2007 - July 27, 2007
• Battle of Musa Qala December 7, 2007 - December 12, 2007
• Operation Eagle's Summit August 27, 2008 - September 5, 2008
• Operation Sond Chara December 11-26 , 2008
• Operation Panther's Claw June 19, 2009 - August 20, 2009
• Operation Moshtarak February 13, 2010 -

history

On January 11, 2002, the Danish Parliament decided to send soldiers to Afghanistan. They arrived in Kabul in January and February . At the donors' conference in Tokyo in January 2002, Denmark pledged 500 million Danish kroner over a period of five years .

On October 1, 2002, the European Participating Air Forces (EPAF), a fighter fighter association made up of Danish, Dutch and Norwegian F-16s , which took part in Operation Enduring Freedom from Kyrgyzstan , began operating. Another Kyrgyz airfield, which opened on December 16, 2002, also flew a Danish fighter plane operated by Flyvevåbnet . The mission lasted until October 2003.

Forty soldiers of the Danish Armed Forces were stationed in 2004 in the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Faizabad , in the province of Badakhshan , together with the German Armed Forces . They were later reduced to twenty soldiers and withdrawn entirely in August 2008.

The Danish Armed Forces have also been active in Helmand Province since 2006 . The Danish government is planning its commitment for the period from 2008 to 2012 in such a way that initially with increased military means the basis is laid for a subsequent civilian development. From 300 million Danish kroner in 2008, civil development is to be increased for the period from 2009 to 2012 to 400 million Danish kroner per year.

On June 1, 2007, the number of soldiers was increased from an initial 360 soldiers on up to 750 soldiers on decision, the most soldiers (665 soldiers) west of the city Girischk ( 31 ° 49 '  N , 64 ° 33'  O ) in the Forward Operating Base Price were stationed. In the region, other Danish soldiers were housed in the FOB Armadillo (later FOB Budwan ) and in the Patrol Base Zumbelay . More soldiers are housed in Camp Bastion . The Danish Battle Groop was involved in heavy fighting along with the Afghan National Army and troops from Great Britain , the United States, Estonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Danish tanks were also used.

In June 2008 a maximum of four AS550 Fennec helicopters were stationed at Camp Bastion . There, Danish doctors also participate in the British Airborne Rescue Service (Medical Emergency Response Teams (MERTs))

Danish armed forces are also stationed in the Lithuanian Army- led PRT near Chaghcharan in Ghor Province . However, the number of soldiers had decreased to 567 soldiers by 2012.

costs

Since 2007, the cost of the Danish operation has increased from $ 135 million to $ 415 million in 2009.

Documentation

The film Camp Armadillo , a Danish documentary from 2010, won an award in Cannes . Some soldiers are accompanied on their missions at Camp Armadillo for six months. The film was a hit in Denmark.

Web links

• Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Denmark in Afghanistan
• Danish Foreign Ministry: Afghanistan - Denmark Partnership (English) Description of how Denmark set up its non-military support for Afghanistan.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Danish Foreign Ministry: Denmark in Afghanistan - why, how and for how long? (PDF; 1.5 MB)
2. ↑ iCasualities: Denmark
3. ↑ globalsecurity.org: Manas International Airport, Ganci Air Base, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
4. ↑ Danish Foreign Ministry: Denmark's Engagement in Afghanistan 2008-2012 (English)
5. ↑ Danish Foreign Ministry: Danish and British forces fight side by side  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
6. ^ Jyllands-Posten: Danske helikoptere til Afghanistan
7. ↑ shephard.co.uk: Danish flying doctors in Afghanistan  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
8. ^ ISAF troop strength in Denmark ( Memento from May 29, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
9. ↑ defensenews.com: Afghan Costs Reach New High for Denmark  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
10. ^ Filmkritiker.com: film criticism - Armadillo