A compendium of the forces used in anti-terrorist strikes as well as those deployed in and around the region.

AMERICAN FORCES IN THEATER

According to the White House, approximately 29,000 military personnel, 349 military aircraft, 1 amphibious ready group, and 2 carrier battle groups are currently deployed in theater.

In Uzbekistan, the Pentagon has recently deployed nearly 1,000 troops from the 10th Mountain Division (Fort Drum, New York) to augment forces already on the ground, increasing the advance guard to 2,000 troops. Their placement at the former Soviet air base near Karshi, Uzbekistan, places them only 100 miles from the Afghan border, where they will provide security for search and rescue and special reconnaissance forces using their specialized training in extreme climates and terrain.

In Uzbekistan, at Khanabad air base, as many as 1,200 soldiers are on the ground. MH60G Pave Hawk helicopters, a specially adapted version of the Black Hawk and operated by Special Operations wings, are being flown into Uzbekistan to ferry up to 10 commandos at a time into Afghanistan. The Apache attack helicopter may also be flown into the region to provide protection for the Pave Hawks.

Turkish press also reports that the U.S. has moved a large number of additional transport and fighter aircraft to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. During the first day of air strikes, 19 C-5 and C-17 transport planes landed, joining the 40 F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft there. The United Kingdom has three Jaguar fighter planes and a tanker plane at Incirlik.

 
Deployed or en route are:

 
The Enterprise Battle Group

Carrier Air Wing Eight —
Precision Strike — 2 F-14A and 2 F-18C aircraft squadrons, 1 EA6B squadron

Cruise Missiles Platforms — 2 Los Angeles-class submarines, 2 Ticonderoga-class cruisers, 3 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and 2 Spruance-class destroyers; with the capacity to launch roughly 500 conventional land-attack Tomahawk missiles.

 
The Carl Vinson Battle Group

Carrier Air Wing Eleven —
Precision Strike — 1 F-14D and 3 F-18C aircraft squadrons, 1 EA6B squadron

Cruise Missiles Platforms — 2 Los Angeles-class submarines, 2 Ticonderoga-class cruisers, 1 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and 1 Spruance-class destroyer; with the capacity to launch roughly 400 conventional land-attack Tomahawk missiles.

USS Peleliu (LHA-5) Amphibious Ready Group. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable (MEUSOC) stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., is embarked. A mix of AV-8B Harrier attack planes, AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters and UH-1N Huey helicopters are aboard. The other two support ships are the USS Dubuque (LPD-8) amphibious assault ship, and the USS Comstock (LSD 45) , Dock Landing Ship.

 
The Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group

Carrier Air Wing One —
Precision Strike — 1 F-14B and 3 F-18C aircraft squadrons, 1 EA6B squadron

Cruise Missiles Platforms — 2 Los Angeles-class submarines, 2 Ticonderoga-class cruisers, 2 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, 2 Spruance-class destroyers, and 1 Oliver Perry-class frigate; with the capacity to launch roughly 400 conventional land-attack Tomahawk missiles.

USS Bataan (LHD-5) Amphibious Ready Group. The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable (MEUSOC) stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., is embarked. A mix of AV-8B Harrier attack planes, AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters and UH-1N Huey helicopters are aboard. The other two support ships are the USS Shreveport (LPD-12) amphibious assault ship and the USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41), the first of a new class of Dock Landing Ship.

USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) Amphibious Ready Group. Is deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable (MEUSOC) stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., is embarked. A mix of AV-8B Harrier attack planes, AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters and UH-1N Huey helicopters are aboard. The other two support ships are the USS Ponce (LPD-15) amphibious assault ship and the USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) , Dock Landing Ship.

 
The USS Kitty Hawk Battle Group

Carrier Air Wing Five — Underway Oct. 1, 2001 from homeport Yokosuka, Japan with a partial mix of the air wing embarked. Flight deck can have a mix of tactical aircraft and various helicopters to support Special Forces operations.
Precision Strike — (when a full air wing is aboard) 4 F-18C aircraft squadrons, 1 EA6B squadron.

 
Long Range Precision Strike

B-2 Spirit — Based out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. Strikes could come from Whiteman AFB or planes could forward deploy. Weapons load-out is varied. As an example, 24 thousand-pound GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) GPS/INS precision guided bombs on one sortie.

B-1B Lancer — Forward deployed to Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean. The B-1B is a multi-role, long-range bomber, capable of flying intercontinental missions without refueling. The latest block upgrade enables the B-1 to carry 24 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) GPS/INS precision guided bombs on one sortie.

B-52 Stratofortress — Forward deployed to Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean. Modified to carry eight air-launched cruise missiles (CALCM). The B-52 was used extensively throughout Desert Storm and Kosovo operations. It has an un-refueled range of 8,800 miles.

U. S. Air Force forward deployed — More than 130 aircraft have deployed to bases in the Middle East and Turkey, consisting of F-15C/E and F-16 fighters and KC-135 air-to-air refueling tankers.

 
UAV's - Uninhabited Air Vehicles

The RQ-1 Predator — can loiter over a target for 24 hours. With a range of 500 miles, Predators could reach Bin Laden's strongholds in Afghanistan from bases in Uzbekistan or Pakistan. Predator has an array of sophisticated sensors, and can produce still photographs and live videos of activities on the ground from more than 10,000 feet in the air.

Global Hawk — has been in the final stages of its testing program and could join the current operation. Like Predator, the Global Hawk carries video cameras that work at night and still cameras that can photograph through cloud cover. It can stay airborne for more than 40 hours and cover thousands of miles in one sortie.

 
U.S. ACTIVE DUTY FORCES WHO HAVE RECEIVED DEPLOYMENT ORDERS:

552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kansas 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale, Louisiana 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, North Dakota 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth, South Dakota 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, South Carolina 27th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Pendleton, California 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp LeJeune, North Carolina 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp LeJeune, North Carolina 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Army, Fort Drum, New York 355th Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona 366th Wing, Mountain Home, Idaho U.S. Army Special Operations Units, Fort Bragg, North Carolina U.S.S. Bataan Amphibious Assault Group, Norfolk, Virginia U.S.S. Carl Vinson Carrier Battle Group, Bremerton, Washington U.S.S. Enterprise Carrier Battle Group, Norfolk, Virginia U.S.S. Kearsage Amphibious Assault Group, Norfolk, Virginia U.S.S. Kitty Hawk Carrier Battle Group, Yokosuka, Japan U.S.S. Peleliu Amphibious Assault Group, San Diego U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group, Norfolk, Virginia (Fox News)

 
BRITISH FORCES IN THEATER

In addition to the E-3D early warning radar aircraft, VC10 and Tristar air-to-air refueling tankers, and Canberra reconnaissance planes, the United Kingdom has three nuclear-powered submarines in the area: the HMS Superb, HMS Trafalgar, and HMS Triumph. The HMS Trafalgar and the HMS Triumph carry and have launched Tomahawk cruise missiles. They have conducted three attacks close to Kabul and four close to other large settlements.

Fortuitously, 23,000 British troops are also currently conducting an exercise in Oman. Operation Saif Sareea II is the biggest British deployment of forces since the Gulf War and may prove a valuable in-theater asset. That force consists of 8,500 naval personnel, 12,000 soldiers, and 2,500 Royal Air Force personnel who work with 14,000 Omani troops. The exercise was planned long before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but offers the presence of other well-trained, well-supplied assets.

 
Deployed or en route:

 

NIMROD: Although originally designed as a maritime patrol and anti-submarine craft, the Nimrod has become invaluable in its support role for air-sea rescues with the replacement of the original maritime equipment. In its place are suites of systems used for reconnaissance and electronic intelligence. Units come from the 51st Squadron, RAF Waddington Fact Sheet: www.raf.mod.uk/airpower/nimrodr1.html CANBERRA PR9 RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT: Relying on its high speed and complete lack of defensive armament, the Canberra was first used as a jet bomber and is now a specialist reconnaissance aircraft. Units from the 39th Squadron, RAF Marham, Norfolk Fact Sheet: www.raf.mod.uk/airpower/canberra.html E3-D SENTRY AEW1: Packed with the technologically advanced radar and electronic sensors, the E3-D is an Airborne Early Warning platform that significantly expands the range of ground-based radars. It can track up to 600 low-flying aircraft at any one time, and contains the new Joint Tactical Information Distribution System for real-time data transfer. Units from the 8th and 23rd Squadrons, RAF Waddington Fact Sheet: www.raf.mod.uk/airpower/sentry.html VC10 TANKER: There are four variants of this plane serving as military transport aircraft and tankers of various refueling capability. British refueling systems are compatible with U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps aircraft. Units from the10th and 101st Squadrons, RAF Brize Norton (Oxfordshire) and the 1312 Flight out of the Falkland Islands Fact Sheet: www.raf.mod.uk/airpower/vc10.html TRISTAR: Serving the RAF in a transport role, Tristar is operated in several variants: C2, K1, and KC1. The C2 is dedicated to transport; the K1 and KC1 are dual-role refueling and transport planes. 216th Squadron, Brize Norton, Oxfordshire Fact Sheet: www.raf.mod.uk/airpower/tristar.html

 
SPECIAL FORCES UNITS POTENTIALLY IN OR EN ROUTE
TO THEATER:

Given Afghanistan's geopolitical characteristics, general political climate, and history's lessons of large foreign invasions, the role of highly-trained, elite Special Forces units in Operation Enduring Freedom is a pivotal one. The mobile units, agile and not encumbered with lots of heavy equipment, are able to adapt their style of fighting to include non-traditional missions, and are ideal for dangerous missions behind enemy lines. After infiltrating Afghanistan, the myriad of missions they perform may include tracking the number, position, and movements of enemies; training and assisting rebel factions; and hunting down and capturing or killing terrorists.

 
UNITED STATES

ARMY

Delta Force. Not much is known publicly about Delta Force, except that it may have been formed in response to terrorist attacks in the 1970's and shaped by the influence of special operations forces in Great Britain, France, Germany, and Israel. The 360 (?) highly secretive, elite warriors are experts in hostage rescue thus may have a basis in counter-terrorism operations. They are also all expert mountaineers, rock climbers, and navigators and are skilled in winter and arctic operations. Medics deploy along with Delta Force units. Rangers. There is one active regiment and three battalions of Army Rangers, who specialize in rapid infantry assault, night fighting, and airfield seizure. They are supported by the 160th Special Operations Aviations Regiment, the "Night Stalkers," who assist from the air. Most likely, Rangers in Afghanistan will be sent to hunt down terrorists hiding in caves and bunkers. Green Berets. The Green Berets will most likely be used to advise and train rebel forces. Divided into five groups of 1,200 soldiers each, they operate in small teams that include specialists in reconnaissance, communications, demolition, counter-terrorism, unconventional warfare, and weapons. Each member of the Green Berets is at least bilingual. The 5th Special Operations Group, based at Fort Campbell, Ky., specializes in Central Asia. Some of the troops speak Afghan languages and know the local culture. The 10th Special Forces, based at Fort Carson, Colo., and Germany, specializes in cold weather missions and thus are particularly suited to the Afghan winter climate. Air Force Special Operations (U.S.). Expert in rescuing downed aircrews and coordinating airstrikes. Rangers (U.S. Army) will most likely be sent to hunt down terrorists hiding in caves and bunkers. SEALs (U.S. Navy) are experts at tasks ranging from demolition to beach landings.

5th Special Operations Group, based at Fort Campbell, KY specializes in Central Asia. Some of the troops speak Afghan languages and know the local culture. The 10th Special Forces, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, and Germany, specializes in cold weather missions.

 
NAVY/MARINES

SEALs. The SEALs, a sea, air, and land attack force, evolved from the legendary Frogmen of World War II to a versatile, highly-trained special operations force that is flexible to the changing threat environment. SEALs, divided into 16 man groups with larger teams often divided into cells (an evasion and recovery cell, a force protection cell, a reconnaissance cell, a sniper cell, etc.), are experts at a remarkable variety of tasks ranging from demolition to beach landings. MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNITS. Although not classic Special Forces units, MEUs are defined as "special operations capable." Currently, there are two MEUs in the Indian Ocean providing the commander in chief with an operational maneuver capability from the sea. MEUs, each 2,200 strong and commanded by a colonel, are capable of quick, multi-faceted campaigns. Infantry battalions use amphibious assault and light armored vehicles; aviation units use helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

 
AIR FORCE

Air Force Special Operations. Experts in rescuing downed aircrews and coordinating air strikes, Air Force Special Operations units are also highly skilled at transport and close air support (CAS). They are uniquely qualified for CAS, possessing the ability to fire on targets, refuel, resupply, and perform other support tasks using their advanced navigational and surveillance equipment.

 
UNITED KINGDOM

ARMY.

SAS. The Special Air Service, a regiment of the British Army, is probably the most well known of British special operations units. With the motto "Who Dares, Wins," SAS forces were conceived in 1941 to fight behind German lines in North Africa, and their special skills have since then evolved into expert counter-terrorism capabilities, honed while hunting down Irish Republican Army terrorists. SAS troops are trained to slip into a country undetected, move only at night yet cover large distances, and complete daring missions. Parachutists. There are four battalions (one of which remains in a constant state of readiness) of British Parachutists. Supported by the Pathfinder Platoon for reconnaissance and other advance missions, the Parachutists are experts in airborne assaults. Gurkhas. A special operations brigade that traces its origins to Nepalese soldiers and its founding year of 1815, Gurkhas have been used as special operations forces in the Persian Gulf War and the Balkan conflicts.

MARINES

Royal Marines. Royal Marines are specialists in amphibious operations. The brigade retains a commando unit in constant readiness, ready to deploy worldwide on short notice. The marines of 3 Commando may be used for winter operations in Afghanistan. Two Royal Marine commando units, numbers 40 and 45, are currently in Oman and are the most likely in-theater choices. They are specially skilled in mountain and winter warfare.

 
SOURCES:   Fox News, CNN, Washington Post, New York Times, BBC News, The Guardian, Reuters, Associated Press, The White House, Defenselink.mil, The Financial Times, USA Today

 

By Rear Adm. (Ret.) Stephen H. Baker, USN CDI Senior Fellow sbaker@cdi.org Emily Clark

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