Table of Contents
Afghan National Army
Afghan National Police
Private Security Companies
International Troop Contributions
For more information, see also the Monitor's posts on Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, private security, NATO, ISAF and PRTs.
Size: 82,781 as of March 2009
Growth: 134,000 by December 2011
Cost: Sustaining the current size of ANA costs $2.2 billion a year. This will rise to $3 million a year after the expansion, which itself will cost $17 billion
Distribution: Consists of 160 units of five ground corps, spread regionally throughout Afghanistan, and one air corps
Training: 26,000 soldiers were trained in 2008, and 28,000 are expected to be trained by 2009. 179 training teams are required for the 134,000 ANA expansion
Casualties: 568 ANA soldiers killed in action between 2007 and 2009
(Source: Factbox-Afghan National Security Forces, Reuters, 27 March 2009)
Order of Battle: See 'Afghanistan National Security Forces Order of Battle', Long War Journal
Size: 80,365 as of March 2009
Growth: 82,000 by December 2009
Cost:
2002-2007: $80 million
2007-Nov 2009: $87 million
Distribution: ANP consists of six organisations including uniformed police (40,000), border police (17,000), and civil order police (5,000). It has posts in nearly every one of Afghanistan's nearly 400 districts.
Training: 28,197 have been trained since June 2007. The U.S. military says it has a shortfall of 2,300 police trainers and has had to transfer some trainers and mentors from the ANA
Casualties: 1,504 killed in action between 2007 and 2009
(Source: Factbox-Afghan National Security Forces, Reuters, 27 March 2009)
Further reading:
- Sustainable Security in Afghanistan Crafting an Effective and Responsible Strategy for the Forgotten Front, Center for American Progress, March 2009
- Progress toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan, United States Department of Defense, January 2009
- Anthony H. Cordesman, Follow the Money: Why the US is losing the war in Afghanistan, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 19 September 2008
- Afghanistan Security: Further Congressional Action May Be Needed to Ensure Completion of a Detailed Plan to Develop and Sustain Capable Afghan National Security Forces, Government Accountability Office, 17 June 2008
- Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, RAND Corporation, 9 June 2008
- The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (A/62/722- S/2008/159), United Nations, March 2008
- Testimony by John M. McConnell, Director, National Intelligence, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, 27 February 2008
- Afghanistan Human Development Report 2007, UNDP and Kabul University
- Graph: Population per Police Officer, by Province, 2006
Total number of contractors: 71,000, which is more than twice the number of US troops ('In Afghanistan, US Military's "Help Wanted" Sign', The Associated Press, 22 March 2009)
For profiles of private security companies operating in Afghanistan, see Appendix B in 'Private Security Contractors at War: Ending the Culture of Impunity', Human Rights First, 16 January 2008
Further reading:
- Defense Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan: Issues and Options for Congress, Congressional Research Service, 19 February 2009
- Private Security Companies and Local Populations, Swisspeace, November 2007
- Table: Estimated Number of Employees
International Troop Contributions:
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
Number of Troops (Actual)
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (*Date Accessed: 5 June 2008)
| Year | Troops |
| 2002 | 4 988 |
| 2003 | 5 500 |
| 2004 | 8 500 |
| 2005 | 8 934 |
| 2006 | 33 460 |
| 2007 | 41 741 |
| 2008* | 43 250 |
Source: NATO
Resources on International Troop Contributions:
- NATO Defence Expenditures (NATO)
- Provincial Reconstruction Teams (NATO)
- Map: International Security Assistance Force (NATO)
- Map: Provincial Reconstruction Team Locations (NATO)
- Graph: International Security Forces in Afghanistan (NATO/Stimson Center)
- U.S. Forces in Afghanistan (Congressional Research Service)
- European Police Mission in Afghanistan (Council of the European Union)
Backgrounders (Parliamentary Information and Research Service):
- Afghanistan: The Canadian Military Mission
- Afghanistan: Canadian Diplomatic Engagement
- Afghanistan: European Involvement (European Contributions and Approaches)
- US Forces in Afghanistan - Updated 15 July 2008
