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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 49 PARIS 000715 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PM/SNA, EUR/WE; OSD FOR OSD/PA&E, OASD/ISA/EUR, 
OASD/ISA/NP, OASD/ISA/AP, OASD/ISA/NESA AND OASD/ISA/BTF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR MCAP MARR MCAP MARR MCAP FR FR PREL FR PREL
SUBJECT: EMBASSY PARIS SUBMISSION TO THE 2005/2006 REPORT 
TO CONGRESS ON ALLIED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMON DEFENSE 
 
REF: A. STATE 223383 
 
     ¶B. PARIS 000005 
 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Not for 
Internet dissemination. 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  This telegram constitutes Embassy Paris's 
country submission for the 2005/2006 Report to Congress on 
Allied Contributions to the Common Defense (requested Ref 
A).  We report on developments that took place during 
calendar years 2004 and 2005 and offer cost sharing 
information for U.S. fiscal years 2004 and 2005.  Embassy's 
contributions to the Report to Congress are keyed to 
paragraphs in Ref A where specific information is 
requested.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------- 
--------------------------------- 
Ref A Para 8:  General Assessment 
--------------------------------- 
--------------------------------- 
 
Overview 
-------- 
¶2.  (U) France bears a significant share of the burden of 
defending international security and stability.  It is 
firmly committed to conflict resolution, non- and 
counterproliferation, as well as to maintaining adequate 
conventional and nuclear capabilities.  Only a few nations 
have the military capability to project power to a distant 
theater and sustain operations.  France is one of these 
nations.  It has the military personnel, equipment, and 
command capabilities as well as the will to employ them 
throughout the world.  It is this total operational 
capability, and the resolve to act on the international 
stage, which allows the French military to participate and 
lead in an international framework, including through the 
European Union and NATO.  Africa comprises the heaviest 
French military commitment abroad.  However, France is also 
a significant contributor to international military 
operations in Central--Southwest Asia and the Balkans.  By 
helping to stabilize sensitive areas in Central Asia, the 
Balkans, or in Sub-Saharan Africa, overseas operations led 
by the French Armed Forces have helped to prevent those 
areas from becoming safe-havens for terrorist activity. 
Throughout 2004 and 2005, France has been a major 
contributor in the fight against terrorism as part of the 
international coalition in Afghanistan.  As such, France 
volunteered to participate under the command of the United 
States in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).  Moreover, 
security, stabilization and training operations led by the 
French Armed Forces within the International Security 
Assistance Force (ISAF) is helping Afghanistan in its 
transition from a terrorist sanctuary to a growing 
democracy. 
 
¶3.  (U) France maintains the largest active duty military 
force in the European Union and the second largest active 
duty military force in NATO, with an active force of 
approximately 355,000.  Furthermore, France sustains a 
large percentage of this active duty force deployed in 
operations in overseas French territories or in sovereign 
territories around the world.  The average number of 
deployed forces outside of France was 35,000 in 2004, and 
32,500 in 2005.  Over 13,500 of those deployed are actively 
engaged in international mandates supporting counter- 
terrorist operations, humanitarian operations, peacekeeping 
operations, stability operations, and capacity building. 
To support this level of external international mandate 
operations, France spends approximately USD 790 million per 
year from a defense budget of 52 billion dollars. 
 
 
France's Global Reach: Peace Support Operations Worldwide 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶4.  (U) France eagerly participates in international peace 
support operations and is a leading force contributor to 
stabilization operations in the Balkans and in Africa.  In 
Cote d'Ivoire, France's most significant overseas 
operation, French troops enforce a tenuous cease-fire and 
are providing the backbone to the United Nations operation 
as a quick reaction force.  French troops have been 
actively engaged since the summer of 2004 in preventing the 
Darfur crisis from expanding into Chad.  In the Balkans, 
French troops are present in every military mission across 
Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia: SFOR/EUFOR, KFOR, UNMIBH, 
UNMIK, EUMM, and ALTHEA. During "Operation Secure 
Tomorrow," to stabilize Haiti, France deployed the second 
largest contingent alongside the United States. 
Contributing troops under international mandate is a point 
of principle in Paris.  The UN, where France has a veto as 
a permanent member of the Security Council, is its 
preferred forum for crisis resolution.  France has 
observers currently participating in UN missions in the 
Balkans, Georgia, Lebanon, Israel, Ethiopia/Eritrea, 
Burundi, DROC, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Western Sahara, and 
Haiti.  It also participates in the multinational force in 
the Sinai. 
 
 
France and the War in Iraq 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) The French government has forbidden its military 
from contributing troops to the NATO training mission 
inside Iraq (NTM-1).  One French officer is working on the 
training mission staff at SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium, 
and the GoF pledged 660,000 euros in February 2005 to help 
finance NTM-1.  In 2005, the GoF took initial steps to 
contribute to the development of Iraqi defense and security 
capabilities.  Under the European Union's EUJUSTLEX 
program, France has pledged to train 200 Iraqi police 
officials and judges in rule of law training in France, 
making France the top EU contributor to this program. 
Approximately 40 Iraqi police officials (non-military) 
completed month-long training at the Ecole Nationale 
Superieure des Officiers de Police and the Ecole Nationale 
de Police in 2005.  A third course started at the end of 
2005 for judicial instruction at the Ecole Nationale de la 
Magistrature.  At the same time, a French offer to train up 
to 1,500 Iraqi paramilitary police (gendarmes) outside Iraq 
remains unimplemented, although an Iraqi Ministry of 
Interior delegation visited France in July 2005 to further 
discuss the proposal.  Currently there is a single Gendarme 
Officer in Iraq, responsible for provision of security for 
French embassy staff in Baghdad. 
 
 
France and the War on Terrorism 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) France is currently the third-largest contributor 
to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force 
(ISAF) in Afghanistan, and one of the few nations other 
than the U.S. to have had troops engaged in Operation 
Enduring Freedom, ISAF and training programs for the Afghan 
army since these efforts began.  French Mirage-2000 
fighters have flown with USAF fighters to assist American 
and Afghan ground troops.  French deployments to the Horn 
of Africa remain focused on counterterrorism; the French 
assisted in the establishment of USCJTF Horn of Africa, and 
otherwise continue to allow the U.S. to share their base in 
Djibouti in connection with operations in the Indian Ocean, 
Red Sea and Persian Gulf.  France is a part of Task Force 
150, a multinational naval force that patrols the Red Sea 
and the Persian Gulf to interdict the movement of suspected 
terrorists from Afghanistan to the Arabian Peninsula. 
 
¶7.  (U) France participates in Operation Active Endeavor in 
the Eastern Mediterranean.  France is also actively 
involved with the Proliferation Security Initiative.  It is 
also a party to all 12 existing international terrorism 
conventions and is active in the UN and G8 counterterrorism 
committees. 
 
¶8.  (U) In 2005, France continued to discover and dismantle 
terror networks present on its soil, including several that 
recruited jihadists to Iraq.  Following the July 2005 
bombings in London, French officials worked closely with 
their British counterparts.  They also identified a number 
of deficiencies in their counterterrorism capabilities, and 
proposed legislation to remedy these deficiencies.  This 
fast-tracked legislation became law in late January, 2006. 
The French government is also expected to issue in February 
2006 a "white book" on terrorism that will underscore their 
belief that terrorism is a primary strategic threat to 
France, and that dealing with it is consequentially a 
central priority.  France consults extensively with the 
U.S. on terrorism, at the tactical and strategic level. 
 
Africa 
------ 
 
¶9.  (U) The French military has shown an increasing 
interest to cooperate with others, particularly with the 
U.S., in Africa.  In the past three years, there have been 
Non-combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) executed in three 
African countries, NEO planning for four other potential 
crises, as well as U.S. and French multilateral programs, 
such as GPOI - ACOTA, RECAMP, and joint financial and 
logistical support for ECOWAS, ECCAS, and the African 
Union.  In the Gulf of Guinea and Trans-Sahel region, 
France has expressed interest in the U.S. effort to improve 
the posture of African countries in the fight against 
terrorism.  Both the U.S. and France continue to broadly 
support capacity building for African militaries.  (See 
paragraphs 12, 32 40, 42-43, 46, 59, 72, 82-86, 89 and 94 
for more on French involvement in Africa.) 
 
 
France, NATO and ESDP 
--------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Despite its singular stance on alliance 
membership (France is not a member of NATO's integrated 
military command), France has continued to demonstrate 
willingness to engage in NATO responses to common 
challenges.  France has been a major contributor to 
operations in the Balkans (SFOR, now EUFOR, and KFOR) and 
in NATO's operations in Afghanistan (International Security 
Assistance Force). In KFOR in Kosovo, French troops are the 
second-largest national contingent, significantly 
outnumbering U.S. units.  In Afghanistan, France has some 
900 troops, which will increase to approximately 1400 in 
August 2006, when France assumes command of the Kabul 
region of ISAF.  During December 2004-August 2005, France 
held the rotating command of ISAF.  France also contributed 
to NATO Humanitarian Relief Operations in Bagh, Pakistan. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The French have consistently expressed their 
support for NATO's transformation, and are contributing 
substantial resources to the NATO Response Force:  the 
French military has identified forces that at initial 
stages will amount to 40 per cent of ground units, 30 per 
cent of air assets, and 20 per cent of naval capabilities, 
and has proposed contributing EUROCORPS to the NRF at a 
later stage.  France has restructured some of its own 
forces with land, air and sea High Readiness Response force 
fully compatible with the NATO Response Force.  It has 
offered headquarter slots in Lille for fellow NATO members. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  Interest in being part of NATO transformation 
has not diminished the deep commitment of the GoF to 
fostering European security and defense arrangements.  Many 
in the GoF envision that transatlantic security relations 
of the future will increasingly include bilateral U.S.-EU 
cooperation. Throughout 2004 and 2005, the French 
vigorously pursued their goal of establishing independent 
European defense structures and supporting increased EU 
missions.  France supported an EU assistance mission to 
Darfur in the Sudan, to support the African Union's 
intervention.  France continues to push its EU partners for 
completion of a separate EU planning headquarters, a small 
but independent EU operational planning unit, as well as an 
EU cell at SHAPE. EU operations may also continue to be 
planned at national headquarters.  Additionally, France has 
been a key player in setting up and funding the European 
Defense procurement agency (EDA), designed to coordinate 
defense procurement among EU allies, and which became 
operational in 2005 with a small staff numbering some 80 
persons and a budget of 20 million euros. 
 
¶13.   (U)  In January 2006, the European gendarmerie force 
was formally inaugurated in Vicenza, Italy.  The concept 
dates back to October 2003, when French Defense Minister 
Michele Alliot-Marie proposed the creation of the European 
gendarmerie consisting of some 800 gendarmes from Spain, 
Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands to take on police 
training and other police functions as part of the EU's 
response to crises. 
 
 
French Training and Participation in Joint Exercises 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶14.  (U) In the European AOR, in cooperation with the US 
Commander Naval Forces Europe, the French Navy participated 
in 3 Non-NATO exercises and 6 NATO exercises in 2004 
including a Proliferation Security Initiative exercise, a 
NATO anti-submarine exercise, a Multi-lateral Livex, PFP 
exercise BALTOPS 04, and a NATO Joint fleet training 
exercise (a major NRF event sponsored by NATO). 
¶15.  (U) In 2005, France participated in 6 Non-NATO 
exercises and 13 NATO exercises.  The French Navy 
participated in RECAMP IV, JMC 05-1 and 05-2, a 
multilateral FTX helping qualify the Italian maritime High 
Readiness Force (HRF), two multilateral anti-submarine 
exercises, Trident D'Or (the exercise to qualify the French 
maritime HRF, a LIVEX Mine Warfare Exercise in the North 
Sea, FRUKUS (CPX/FTX with French, Russian, U.S., and U.K. 
navy participation, Sorbet Royale (a LIVEX Submarine Rescue 
Exercise), Bright Star (a multi-national, multi-warfare 
LIVEX executing in Egypt), Loyal Midas (a multilateral FTX 
to qualify a stand-by Maritime Component Commander for a 
future NRF rotation. 
 
¶16.  (U) Overall objectives for Navy training in 2005 were: 
100 days at sea per ship, 13 exercises, four of which were 
Amphibious exercises, three of which were mine warfare 
exercises, two deployments of the Charles de Gaulle CVBG, 
participation in one major NATO exercise, participation in 
one major EU exercise and five Joint exercises. 
 
¶17.  (U) The French air force continues to seek 
opportunities to exercise and train with the US.  During 
2005, the French air force participated in Exercise Bright 
Star in Egypt, and Exercise Air Warrior in the US.  France 
also continues to offer the US opportunities to use their 
training ranges and training airspace associated with 
Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. 
 
 
French Support for Space Launch Activities 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶18.  (U) France supported multiple space launch activities 
from their facilities in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and 
the south of France.  The French government approved a US 
request to use the islands of Reunion and Nuka Hiva for 
telemetry tracking missions supporting NASA space launches. 
Additionally, the French support US space shuttle launches 
with access to the French Air Base in Istres France as an 
alternate shuttle landing site. 
 
 
Defense Trade and Industrial Cooperation 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶19.  (U) Source priorities in order of importance for 
French defense acquisition remain France, EU, and all 
others (to include the U.S.).  National pride and limited 
budgets govern this order.  The French defense industry 
continues to provide the greatest depth and breadth of any 
western European country.  While its technology is 
sometimes peer-level with the U.S., it is actually superior 
in specific niche areas (e.g., thermal imaging and optics). 
The single most limiting factor is defense spending. 
 
¶20.  (U) In the past year, the French Ministry of Defense 
continued its pursuit of revitalization of forces.  Despite 
competing government interests, the budget of the Defense 
Ministry remained untouched (the Interior was the only 
other ministry spared from budget cuts).  Highlights for 
2005-2006 spending include: a second aircraft carrier; 
introduction of the Rafale fighter aircraft; the European 
Multi-Mission Frigate (FREMM); Network-Centric command and 
control systems; Tigre and NH-90 helicopters; transport 
aircraft; third and fourth strategic missile submarines; 
and cruise missile development.  Only minor increases in 
research and development, as compared to previous years, 
were approved. 
¶21.  (U) Foreign Military Sales from the US increased from 
FY03 to FY04 (USD 45.6M to USD 66.9M), while direct 
commercial sales decreased  (USD 18.9M to USD 12.7M.) 
Pending US sales include the Aircraft Launch and Recovery 
Equipment (ALRE) for the second French aircraft carrier, 
and a cruise missile simulator.  FMS training funds were 
expended as in previous years, with the majority centered 
on carrier aviation training and support. 
 
¶22.  (U) Service-specific Data Exchange Agreements (DEAs) 
remained essentially stable, yet significantly, 
renegotiation of four Navy DEAs was concluded, extending 
their expiration dates to 2010.  Discussions continue 
regarding remaining DEAs and four newly proposed 
agreements.  Foreign Comparative Testing programs continue 
to show interest in French technologies, with recent focus 
on underwater GPS, perimeter defense, shipboard self- 
defense, and bomb casing design.  Benchmarking studies have 
been conducted on ship design and manpower reduction. 
 
¶23.  (U) U.S. defense acquisition and sales interests in 
France are significant and include (by service): for the 
Air Force, C-130J, KC-130J, C-17 sales and French AWACS 
upgrade; for the Army and USMC, Sophie, 120mm rifled 
mortars, Active Protection System armor for ground 
vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles; for the Navy, ALRE 
sale, unmanned submerged/underwater vehicles, and maritime 
domain awareness, and network-centric enabled operations. 
All services are focused on any technology that can assist 
in the efforts of the IED Task Force. 
 
¶24.  (U) Privatization of the defense sector has continued, 
albeit at a slow pace.  Although the GoF still maintains 
so-called "golden shares" in several firms, globalization 
has eroded their total control in this arena.  For example, 
the recently privatized shipbuilding firm DCN has again 
partnered with Thales in planning the second French 
aircraft carrier, and was recently awarded a contract by 
the French Navy for total lifetime maintenance support for 
their fleet warships and major combat systems. 
 
¶25.  (U) The anticipated absorption of OCCAR (the 
Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation) into the 
European Defense Agency has stalled, although OCCAR did 
play a role in guiding the French and Italian defense 
ministries to select the General Electric engines for the 
European Multi-Mission Frigate (FREMM) in late 2005. 
 
¶26.  (U) The EU's European Capabilities Action Plan (ECAP) 
goal is to coordinate financing processes and to get 
European defense industry involved in identifying and 
filling gaps.  There is also a recent effort to engage 
university research labs through funding made available 
from private industries.  Further privatization and 
increased competitiveness of the French defense sector 
should support these trends. 
 
¶27.  (U) Tangential but significant issues to defense 
cooperation include continued pursuit of a Declaration of 
Principles (DoP) on armaments and end-use controls required 
by the U.S. on jointly produced systems, which prevent 
French sales to third parties without USG approval (viewed 
with concern by French government and private industry 
alike though France requires similar guarantees from their 
customers for French products).  On the other hand, U.S. 
Presidential intervention in rejecting the so-called "buy 
American" provisions in the recent U.S. defense bill was 
well received. 
 
¶28.  (U) Recent overtures on the part of both the U.S. and 
French governments have led to an increase in official 
bilateral defense discussions and activity.  The impending 
change of government in 2007 will have a significant impact 
on whether or not this trend continues.  While France's 
2005 vote against the EU referendum was seen as a setback 
to both the French government and to the EU's future, its 
full effect remains to be seen.  As noted above, there are 
signs of consolidation of efforts among EU institutions, 
specifically in the defense arena.  Economic realities and 
collective resolve should eventually determine whether 
these trends continue. 
The Future of French Defense Spending 
------------------------------------- 
¶29.  (U) Future French Defense budgets must conform to a 
new inter-governmental finance law known by the acronym 
LOLF (Organic Law of the Finance Law).  In this new 
framework, the funding made available to the Ministry of 
Defense abandons the traditional budget distributions by 
'Titles' and instead is presented as 'missions and 
programs'.  The most significant of these is the mission to 
'Put into action the National Defense Policy'.  Two of its 
supporting programs are 'Prepare the Force' and 'Equip the 
Force'.  In all, the Defense Ministry budget will be 
organized around four missions and nine supporting 
programs.  In an effort to improve the coherence of the 
defense budget, the LOLF ties budgetary allocations to 
performance.  Also, for the first budget cycle under this 
new system, the Chiefs of Staff of the services have less 
influence on service budgets. Their role is now to assure 
the coherence of the budget rather than the direction of 
it.  In a May 21, 2005 Presidential decree, the Chiefs of 
the Armed Services are now subordinate to the Chief of 
Defense (CHOD).  The CHOD now controls all budgets and 
procurement financing.  Service budgets now must pass 
through the CHOD before they go to the Minister's office 
for approval. (For more information on defense spending and 
the LOLF see paragraphs 111-113.) 
 
¶30.  (U) The 2006 defense budget represents a 2.2% increase 
over the 2005 fiscal year.  In spite of the Defense 
Minister's ability to protect the defense budget from cuts, 
there continue to be difficulties for the French military 
in the future.  These difficulties stem primarily from 
three areas:  first, the inflationary pressures of the 
price of energy; second, cost overruns/delays in 
procurement; and third, increased maintenance costs.  Most 
of the planning for the current five-year budget requests 
was predicated on the cost of a barrel of oil at half the 
current price.  This increase will translate into fewer 
flying hours, fewer training days, and fewer days at sea in 
the next few years.  Procurement of several current 
military systems is behind the original schedule or 
experiencing technical problems.  These delays include the 
Tigre helicopter, Rafale fighter aircraft, A-400M transport 
aircraft, and the new command ship (BPC).  The final 
expense increase will be the result of maintaining the 
older systems in the French military until sufficient 
numbers can replace them. 
 
 
Transforming Military Capabilities 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶31.  (U) In spite of not being part of the integrated 
military command structure of NATO, in January, 2004 France 
received two general officer billets within the command: 
one at Atlantic Command Operations (SHAPE) and one at 
Atlantic Command Transformation (Norfolk).  The French have 
assigned 110 military personnel to the two headquarters, 
representing 2.04% of overall NATO staff posts.  The French 
have also agreed to increase their contribution to Alliance 
military budgets from 4.9% to 7.4%.  Nonetheless, despite 
disclaimers to the contrary, the French have given mixed 
signals over the past two years on their vision of the 
future NATO.  These views have ranged from a desire for 
closer integration with NATO to generally limiting the 
scope of NATO's operations or in favor of an EU defense 
force. 
 
¶32.  (U) France has been a leading proponent to advance a 
"battle-group" concept to create rotational 1500-man size 
forces for use in Chapter VII mandates by the European 
Union.  Based on the EU Operation ARTEMIS model (the French 
led deployment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 
2003) the force would be capable of responding to a crisis 
within 15 days and be sustainable for 30 days minimum, 120 
days maximum.  Full operational capability is scheduled for 
¶2007.  The French insist that these battle groups would be 
compatible with NATO NRF rotations, with either taking the 
lead on the basis of a mutually-agreed decision.  Africa 
has been mentioned as a primary venue for the battle- 
groups. 
¶33.  (U) The French Army is investing in UAVs, the Improved 
Infantry Armored Vehicle (VBCI), advanced communications 
equipment, counter-fire radars, and lighter equipment for 
armored units.  They are beginning the process of 
digitization of the Army's battlefield systems and 
purchasing an individual soldier system - the Felin, the 
French Army's equivalent to the U.S. Army's Land Warrior 
system.  These initiatives will enhance French abilities to 
interoperate with US forces and systems. 
 
¶34.  (U) The French Navy has stood up and qualified the HRF 
(M) headquarters staff, the naval component headquarters of 
France's NRF, in Toulon in 2004 and 2005.  This force will 
deploy to the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean in 2006. 
Additionally, the Admiral, Naval Action Force (ALFAN) in 
Toulon has continued to develop over 2004 and 2005.  This 
command is now roughly equivalent to the U.S. Fleet Forces 
Command and has responsibilities for training, certifying, 
and equipping French naval forces.  In an effort to improve 
intelligence support to the French Navy, the French stood 
up a French intelligence command called Centre de 
Renseignment Martime (CRMar). 
 
¶35.  (U) In the context of trying to become more efficient 
and capable of joint and international operations, the 
French Air Force is in the process of a major 
reorganization.  In November 2003, a project team of senior 
staff officers, outgoing base commanders and civilian 
consultants was created and given the mission to develop a 
plan to create a better Air Force. The project team started 
its work in September 2004 and unveiled the plan in October 
¶2005.  The ideas will be progressively implemented 
beginning in 2006.  This ambitious reorganization project, 
named Air 2010, aims in particular at removing duplication 
and creating synergy.  It will serve to optimize the air 
base network while preserving existing capabilities. In 
summary, the Air Force will replace the twelve current 
commands with four large functional 'poles.'  The 
Operations Pole will be in charge of current operations in 
France and abroad.  The Forces pole will be charged with 
leading the preparation and training of the whole of the 
combat forces. The Support Pole will bring together within 
the same staff all the maintenance, logistics, and life 
support.  The Personnel Pole will join together all the 
personnel training and staff management functions. 
 
¶36.  (U) The French military is actively exploring ways to 
increase interoperability with the U.S. with respect to the 
global information grid and uses of information on the 
modern battlefield.  As of late 2005, the French MOD has 
directed increased contact between French military 
officials and U.S. military officials in an effort to 
ensure the French capability to interoperate with the U.S. 
is maintained and improved.  This French initiative is 
aimed at keeping up with the U.S. lead in information 
technology, particularly targeting data and friendly force 
tracking.  The French desperately want to preserve the 
ability to conduct combat operations with the U.S. in every 
domain  air, land, and sea. 
 
 
 
Recent Contingency Operations, Military Assistance, 
Humanitarian Relief Operations, Peacekeeping, Capacity 
Building, Counterproliferation and Nuclear Threat 
Reduction. 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶37.  (U) The French continue to show their support for 
operations in Afghanistan.  In 2006, they are planning to 
augment their forces to support the increased 
responsibilities of the Kabul regional command in addition 
to the military assets already in place in support of ISAF 
and OEF (see paragraphs 53-56 for more detail). 
Furthermore, the French continue to be actively involved in 
the fight against terrorism through the OEF Task Force 150 
and in the US Counter-Drug effort (see paragraphs 59-60 for 
more detail.) 
 
¶38.  (U) The French Army has been training the Afghan 
National Army within the overall U.S.-led program since its 
inception and the French have consistently expressed a 
desire to be part of NATO's transformation and 
interoperability initiatives as evidenced by their 
significant national contributions to the NATO Response 
Force (NRF) (see paragraphs 66-67 for more detail). 
 
¶39.  (U) In the Balkans, French forces remain among the 
largest contributors to operations in Kosovo and French 
participation in the former NATO SFOR mission in Bosnia 
continued under the EU Force, Operation Althea.  The French 
continue to maintain a small French military presence in 
Macedonia.  They also provide a small presence force in 
Georgia. (See paragraphs 70-71 for more detail). 
 
¶40.  (U) In Africa, France has provided 80 million euros to 
Darfur through the African Union and provides support to 
Chad on a bilateral basis.  The French transported the 
Senegalese units of the AU force to Sudan and the Nigerian 
police contingent. (See paragraph 72 for more detail). 
 
¶41.  (U) In response to natural disasters in 2004 and 2005 
France contributed substantially to Pakistan Earthquake 
relief efforts, the South Asian Tsunami relief efforts, and 
relief efforts after hurricane Katrina hit the southern 
United States. (See paragraphs 73-81 for more detail). 
 
¶42.  (U) The major part of France's efforts at capacity 
building in the world is focused on Africa where France 
relies on its forces stationed in seven nations to conduct 
most of its capacity building operations (see paragraphs 
82-85 for more detail).  Also, 4000 French troops stand 
alongside UNOCI in Operation Licorne in Cote d'Ivoire in 
support of the UN operation, in addition to the French 
permanent base in Abidjan. 
 
¶43.  (U) French Gendarmerie has taken the lead in the 
development of the European Gendarmerie Force.  French 
Gendarmes are also deployed in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Haiti 
(MINUSTAH), Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), the Democratic Republic 
of the Congo, Chad, and the Central Africa Republic.  They 
also conducted training in Kinshasa, Kenya (see paragraphs 
86-89 for more detail). 
 
¶44.  (U) In the summer of 2004, the French also began a 
joint fighter pilot training school in Cazeaux, France (see 
paragraph 90 for more detail). 
 
¶45.  (U) As a nuclear state, France endorses deterrence 
theory and holds to long-standing NATO doctrines.  It has 
consistently supported international arms control regimes 
as a means of bolstering stability and transparency.  In 
addition to its continued support for international 
mechanisms to limit proliferation, France with their 
British and German colleagues pursued EU3 negotiations to 
obtain Iranian compliance with Iran's Safeguard Agreement 
commitments.  EU3 efforts led to the signing of the Paris 
Agreement in November 2004.  Iranian resumption of 
conversion in August 2005, and research on enrichment in 
December 2005, led to suspension of Paris Agreement 
discussions.  France and its EU partners, with U.S. 
support, continue to pursue efforts to convince Iran to 
suspend its nuclear ambitions. (See paragraphs 91-93 for 
more detail). 
 
¶46.  (U) The French military continues to maintain strong 
contacts with the U.S. and other NATO countries for 
contingency planning.  During 2004 and 2005, France 
conducted planning and exchanges with EUCOM and CENTCOM. 
French and U.S. analysts and planners share information on 
terrorism and WMD proliferation as well as political- 
military developments.  From the beginning of operations in 
Afghanistan (both OEF and ISAF), and the Lebanon crisis, 
French and U.S. planners have continued to work together to 
produce effective, timely results.  French forces 
permanently or temporarily stationed in Africa and Central 
Asia have assisted U.S. operations in the EUCOM and CENTCOM 
theater of operations. 
 
 
-------------------------------------- 
-------------------------------------- 
REF A PARAS 9-10:  DIRECT COST-SHARING 
-------------------------------------- 
-------------------------------------- 
¶47.  (U) No direct cost sharing activities occur in France 
 
 
------------------------------------- 
------------------------------------- 
REF A PARA 11:  INDIRECT COST SHARING 
------------------------------------- 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶48.  (U) No indirect cost-sharing activities as described 
in Ref A paragraph 11 occur in France.  However the U.S. 
did receive several types of miscellaneous indirect cost- 
sharing benefits from France as described below. 
 
 
Overflight Clearances, Port Access, Use of French 
Facilities 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶49.  (U) In 2004, France granted overflight and landing 
clearances to 1842 USG missions.  977 of these missions 
were in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  76 of these 
missions supported operations in the Balkans.  During 2005, 
France granted 2061 overflight and landing clearances to 
USG missions.  811 of these missions supported OIF while 68 
supported Balkan operations.  France continued to grant 
blanket overflight clearances to most USG missions allowing 
over flights of and landings in France without notice. 
 
¶50.  (U) The 744 Expeditionary Air Base Group operated 
three KC-135 tanker aircraft from Istres Airbase in 
southern France during most of 2004.  This group of 100 US 
military personnel flew air refueling missions supporting 
operations in the Balkans.  The French provided fuel tax- 
free.  The mission ended in December 2004. 
 
¶51.  (U) Tax concessions on fuel and landing fees for non- 
operational missions during 2004 totaled approximately 4000 
dollars.  During 2005 these concessions totaled 8450 
dollars. 
 
¶52.  (U) During 2004 the US Navy made 14 port calls to 
facilities in metropolitan France.  In 2005 the number of 
port calls was 29.  In all cases, the French Navy provided 
excellent support and force protection services without 
cost.  Additionally, no taxes were imposed for supplies or 
parts for US ships visiting French ports. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
REF A PARA 12 RECENT CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS, MILITARY 
ASSISTANCE, HUMANITARIAN RELIEF OPERATIONS, CAPACITY 
BUILDING, COUNTERPROLIFERATION, AND NUCLEAR THREAT 
REDUCTION 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
Subparagraph A:  Recent Contingency operations (See French 
Force Disposition and External Operations Table for 
personnel numbers) 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶53.  (U) The French were among the first nations to 
volunteer troops to the International Security Assistance 
Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan and France continues to 
be responsible for Kabul International Airport and the area 
north of Kabul to the U.S. base at Bagram.  A French 
battalion has been a part of ISAF since December 2001. 
From August 2004 to February 2005, a French general 
commanded the NATO-led ISAF.  France has proposed an 
increased role in ISAF and offered to lead Regional 
CommandKabul as part of the NATO reorganization and 
expansion of ISAF.  In October 2005, France and Turkey 
announced that they would co-lead Regional Command-Kabul. 
The French are planning to augment their forces from the 
current 700 in ISAF to between 1,000  1,200 personnel to 
support the increased responsibilities of the regional 
command to include providing a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) 
battalion.  The French have continued to provide a military 
police detachment in support of ISAF. 
 
¶54.  (U) Supporting OEF, the French Armed Forces continue 
to be actively involved in the fight against terrorism. 
200 members of the French Special Forces are currently 
deployed in the South of Afghanistan alongside U.S. Special 
Forces in military operations against the Taliban. 
 
¶55.  (U) France assigned liaison officers to the U.S. staff 
headquarters in Tampa to ensure the interface between the 
military authorities of the two countries.  French forces 
were directly involved in the fight against terrorism by 
y 
carrying out the following missions: 
 
¶56.  (U) The air and sea group took part in air operations 
above Afghanistan in April-May 2004 (84 aircrafts were 
involved in operational missions for 450 flight hours). 
The French Air Force deployed within less than 48 hours six 
Mirage 2000D and two refueling aircraft from metropolitan 
France to the deployable airbase in Manas (Kyrgyzstan) 
which played a key role in the prosecution of air 
campaigns. 
 
¶57.  (U) In addition, two C160 airplanes with 130 soldiers 
of the Air Force have been operating in Dushanbe 
(Tajikistan) since December 3, 2001, totaling 10,000 flight 
hours. This detachment is focused on airlifting the French 
Forces operating in different areas in Afghanistan. 
 
¶58.  (U) In October 2004, three Mirage F1CR and one tanker 
C135FR were deployed in Dushanbe to carry out tactical 
reconnaissance missions for ISAF and the coalition against 
terrorism.  To help promote the development of democracy in 
Afghanistan in close collaboration with its allies, the 
French Air Force again deployed an air detachment in 
Dushanbe, from August through November 2005 during the 
parliamentary elections.  Within ISAF, the detachment, 
which includes three Mirage F1CR, three Mirage 2000D and 
two tankers C135FR based in Manas, was intended to 
establish an air presence throughout the country and 
support ground forces operations to deter any action likely 
to disrupt the elections.  It was also entrusted with the 
mission to undertake reconnaissance and fire support 
operations supporting OEF. 
 
¶59.  Finally, the French military participates in the fight 
against terrorism within the OEF Task Force 150 (TF 150). 
The Task Force is actively involved in the following 
operations: 
- monitoring air and sea movements in the Red Sea, the Sea 
of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf, 
- prohibiting the filtration of terrorists to the Arabian 
Peninsula or the Horn of Africa, 
- fighting against illegal trafficking (weapons, drugs 
etc.), 
- fighting against piracy and banditry acts. 
 
¶60.  (U) Since February 2003, a EUROMARFOR task group is 
part of the TF 150 and operates under the command of the 
U.S. staff.  The French Navy greatly contributes to the TF 
150 (about a quarter of the Task Force) with three ships 
operating on a permanent basis. France took command of TF 
150 twice from September 2003 to January 2004 and from June 
to September 2004. 
 
¶61.  (U) An aircraft based in Djibouti, which was 
incorporated into the Task Force 57 (TF 57), is intended to 
patrol in coordination with the TF 150 ships.  The 62 
French ships involved in Operation Enduring Freedom since 
15 December 2001 totaled more than 6,000 days at sea. 
 
¶62.  (U) The French Navy's strong participation in CTF-150, 
both by continuously providing ships and often providing a 
command staff in the Indian Ocean, particularly off of 
Somalia and the Gulf of Oman, and the presence of French 
Navy liaison personnel at NAVCENT Headquarters in Bahrain 
makes possible a good degree of interaction and cooperation 
in this key region.  The French also maintain maritime 
patrol aircraft worldwide and cooperate with the U.S. Navy 
where there is common interest. 
 
¶63.  (U) The French also participate in the US Counter-Drug 
effort with Naval Forces.  A French military officer is 
assigned to the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF 
South) in Key West, to ensure coordination with French 
forces in the Caribbean.  Fort-de-France in Martinique 
supports U.S. Navy and Coast Guard units with port visits 
and the Navy Command in Fort-de-France has assisted the 
U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard with the movement of 
personnel and weapons between various ships and aircraft. 
The direct participation of the French Navy in counter-drug 
operations consists of the deployment of frigates to the 
region to work with U.S. forces on a regular basis and the 
use of Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployed to the region. 
 
¶64.  (U) In 2004, the French Navy stopped three drug 
trafficking ships in the Antilles and one Togolese ship in 
the Gulf of Guinea with 450 kg of cocaine.  The counter 
drug effort of the French Navy in 2004 was 199 days at sea, 
156 hours of flight, 2058 ships queried, four ships 
intercepted, and 1020 kg of drugs ceased. 
 
¶65.  (U) In 2004, the French Navy effort against 
clandestine immigration equaled 683 days at sea, 904 flight 
hours, three ships intercepted, 43 clandestine immigrants 
turned over to border police. 
 
 
------------------------------------- 
Subparagraph B.  Military Assistance: 
NRF/NTMI/Afghanistan/NATO PKO. 
---------- -------------------------- 
 
¶66.  (U) The French Army has been training the Afghan 
National Army within the overall U.S.-led program since its 
inception.  Since 2002, the French have trained more than 
2,000 Afghans.  This includes three of the initial 
battalions; they have set-up the officer basic course and 
the staff officer's course.  The French are currently 
participating in the Embedded Training Team concept with 
French Army soldiers assigned to mentor an Afghan battalion 
in Kandahar. 
 
¶67.  (U) The French have consistently expressed a desire to 
be part of NATO's transformation and interoperability 
initiatives as evidenced by their significant national 
contributions to the NATO Response Force (NRF).  By 
participating in NRFs 1 through 6, the total French 
military contribution equals up to 40 percent of ground 
units, 30 percent of air assets, and 20 percent of naval 
capabilities.  The French air force provides the deployable 
combined air operations center (CAOC) for the European led 
NRF.  In January 2005, the French air force conducted AIREX 
2005, a training exercise, to prepare for command of NRF-05 
in July. On July 1st, the French air force became the Joint 
Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) of NRF-05 for six 
months.  In 2004, NATO sent the NRF's Land Component 
Command Headquarters, the French led EUROCORPS, to lead the 
ISAF in Afghanistan.  As part of NRF 5, NATO activated 
France's Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) to 
coordinate the air movements for the Pakistan earthquake 
relief effort.  On 1 October 2005, the French formally 
created a multinational headquarters to serve as the Land 
Component Command for future rotations of the NRF. 
 
¶68.  (U) In 2005, the French also established a Maritime 
Component Command HQ to serve in future iterations of 
NATO's NRF.  The French Navy successfully stood-up the 
High-Readiness Force  Maritime (HRF-M) staff in Toulon and 
qualified the staff during an at-sea exercise in 2005. 
This staff, will serve its rotational duties as an on-call 
force, ahead of schedule, and is being used by the French 
for out-of-area operations, for example, during the 
upcoming Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean deployment of the Charles 
de Gaulle Carrier Battle Group in early 2006.  There is one 
U.S. Naval Officer assigned to the HRF-M staff. 
 
¶69.  (U) The French government has forbidden its military 
from contributing troops to the NATO training mission 
inside Iraq (NTM-1).  One French officer is working on the 
training mission staff at SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium, 
and the GoF pledged 660,000 euros in February 2005 to help 
finance NTM-1.  In 2005, the GoF took initial steps to 
contribute to the development of Iraqi defense and security 
capabilities.  Under the European Union's EUJUSTLEX 
program, France has pledged to train 200 Iraqi police 
officials and judges in rule of law training in France, 
making France the top EU contributor to this program. 
Approximately 40 Iraqi police officials (non-military) 
completed month-long training at the Ecole Nationale 
Superieure des Officiers de Police and the Ecole Nationale 
de Police in 2005.  A third course started at the end of 
2005 for judicial instruction at the Ecole Nationale de la 
Magistrature.  At the same time, a French offer to train up 
to 1,500 Iraqi paramilitary police (gendarmes) outside Iraq 
remains unimplemented, although an Iraqi Ministry of 
Interior delegation visited France in July 2005 to further 
discuss the proposal.  Currently there is a single Gendarme 
Officer in Iraq, responsible for provision of security for 
French embassy staff in Baghdad. 
 
¶70.  (U) In the Balkans, French forces remain among the 
largest contributors to operations in Kosovo.  French 
participation in the former NATO SFOR mission in Bosnia 
continued under the EU Force, Operation Althea.  210 
Gendarmes supported both the United Nations Interim mission 
in Kosovo and the NATO Intervention Forces in Kosovo. 
French Lieutenant General de Kermabon transferred authority 
as COMKFOR on 1 September 2005 after one year of command, 
the second time France has commanded KFOR.  The French 
government provided approximately 60 gendarmes, including 
20 officers to help combat organized crime under the Office 
of the High Representative in Bosnia-Hersegovina. 
Additionally, they provided European Union Police and 
military police in support of European Union Forces in 
Bosnia. 
 
¶71.  (U) The French continue to maintain a small French 
military presence (15 personnel) in Macedonia providing 
international police in support of the European Police 
Mission.  They also provide a small presence force (three 
military observers) in Georgia to help support the U.N. 
monitoring mission. 
 
¶72.  (U) Regarding peacekeeping efforts in Africa, there 
has been ongoing debate as to NATO's role in Africa.  This 
debate was most evident during the 2005 crisis in Darfur 
with France focusing its support for the AU through the EU. 
France, however, honored its pledge to SECSTATE that it 
would not oppose a NATO role in the crisis.  France has 
provided 80 million euros to Darfur through the African 
Union and provides support to Chad on a bilateral basis. 
French troops and aircraft are conducting ground and air 
border security.  During 2005, France provided refueling 
support to NATO and EU aircraft at Abech in Eastern Chad, 
as well as personnel recovery capabilities using three C- 
160 transport aircraft and three Puma helicopters.  The 
French transported the Senegalese units of the AU force to 
Sudan and the Nigerian police contingent. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Subpara C:  Humanitarian Relief Operations 
NATOHMRO/Pakistan/Katrina/Tsunami 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶73.  (U) In 2003, France allotted 9.3 million euros (USD 
11.2 million) to what it termed Emergency Humanitarian 
Assistance, all of which was channeled through the 
Emergency Humanitarian Aid Fund of the MFA.  In 2004, the 
initial allotment was 9.3 million euros (USD 11.2 million). 
The fund may be increased on an extraordinary basis to 
finance unexpected operations; this was the case in 2005, 
when France announced an emergency increased allotment of 
2.8 million euros (USD 3.4 million) in favor of the victims 
of natural disasters or civil crises, primarily focused on 
the victims of the tsunami in Thailand, Sri Lanka, 
Maldives, Indonesia, and India, and an additional 
allocation of 5.6 million euros (USD 6.7 million) for the 
victims of the earthquake in Pakistan (see paragraphs 
below).  The additional aid is imputed into the 2005 
balance sheet bringing the total amount of emergency 
donations to 16,147,081 million euros.  Allotments in 2006 
are projected to increase to benefit victims of 2005's 
Hurricane Katrina in the United States.  For an economic 
analysis of general Grant Aid and Humanitarian Assistance 
see paragraphs 117-221. 
 
¶74.  (U) Pakistan Relief.  The French contributed 82 
military personnel to the Pakistan relief effort.  In 
addition, the French air force deployed two C-130 Hercules 
military transport aircraft to deliver relief supplies. The 
effort included medical service personnel, a surgical team, 
and support personnel (communications, equipment, and 
logistics) in Pakistan.  Forty-six of the military 
personnel were inserted into the various NATO elements in 
Islamabad, Lisbon, Germany, and Turkey.  Additionally, as 
part of NRF 5, NATO activated France's JFACC to coordinate 
the air movement piece of the relief effort.  The JFACC at 
Taverney, near Paris has 23 French, five UK, and one U.S. 
officer assigned. 
 
¶75.  (U) KATRINA Relief.  The NRF was activated in 
September 2005 after hurricane Katrina.  At the same time, 
France used its Joint Forces Air Component (JFACC) to task 
the French Air Force to collect and deliver the 150 tons of 
European supplies for Louisiana.  This support was 
delivered to Ramstein airbase, Germany.  The French air 
force also provided two transport aircraft to move over 
four tons of supplies, including tents, tarps, and 1000 
rations, to the US from the Caribbean.  Along with these 
supplies, the French provided a team of four civil security 
personnel to help assess future U.S. needs and distribute 
assistance.  Two French liaison officers were posted to the 
Joint Forces Commander in Lisbon to help coordinate all 
European assistance.  An Airbus Beluga aircraft also 
delivered 12.7 tons of emergency equipment to Mobile, 
Alabama; 
 
¶76.  (U) The French Navy deployed a team of 17 Navy divers 
to assist with the Katrina disaster.  This was facilitated 
by the fact that the French maintain a liaison officer with 
the U.S. Mine Warfare Command in Corpus Christi, Texas. 
The 17 French divers worked from September 11, 2005 to 
October 8, 2005 helping to clear waterways of debris and 
recover vessels. 
 
¶77.  (U) The GOF also offered the following contributions 
to assist with Katrina disaster recovery: 
--The "Gendarmerie nationale" offered experts in forensic 
police; 
--The GOF (with Airbus) offered to send an additional 20- 
30,000 food rations. 
 
¶78.  (U) Tsunami Relief.  The French Navy worked with U.S. 
forces and other willing partners following the December 
26, 2004 Tsunami in South East Asia.  In response to this 
disaster, the French Navy re-routed its helicopter carrier, 
Jeanne D'Arc, and, after picking up extra emergency 
supplies from the French base in Djibouti, sent the units 
into the disaster region.  By February 1, there were 1,390 
French Military personnel assisting in the disaster area, 
most aboard the three ships involved.  The French 
Helicopter Carrier, Jeanne D'Arc, and the Destroyer George 
Leygues DD-644 deployed to Indonesia on January 4 until 
February 9 while the Destroyer Dupleix DD-641 deployed to 
the Maldives from January 5 until February 1, 2005.  The 
Jeanne D'Arc supplemented the normal on-board complement of 
helicopters with an additional two heavy-lift helicopters. 
Embarked were 12 medical doctors and support personnel. 
 
¶79.  (U) There was one French Maritime Patrol Aircraft 
deployed to Thailand from January 1, 2005 that worked in 
cooperation with the U.S. Navy P-3 aircraft.  One 
additional French Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployed to Sri 
Lanka from December 30, 2004 to January 1, 2005. 
 
¶80.  (U) In support of the tsunami relief in South-East 
Asia, the French Gendarmerie provided several investigators 
to assist in the identification of victims. 
 
¶81.  (U) Other humanitarian efforts.  In 2004, during the 
annual Jeanne D'Arc training cruise 9000 vaccinations were 
given, 519 tons of humanitarian supplies were delivered. 
During a deployment of the Dupleix, 180 tons of 
humanitarian supplies were delivered. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Subparagraph D.  Capacity Building:  Strengthening 
Governance in the World. 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶82.  (U) The major part of France's efforts at capacity 
building in the world is focused on Africa.  France relies 
on its forces stationed in seven nations to conduct most of 
its capacity building operations.  These include Cameroon, 
Togo, the Central African Republic, the Gulf of Guinea, 
Haiti, and Cote d'Ivoire.  Additionally, France uses 
forward presence forces; those stationed through bilateral 
defense agreements, for capacity building operations. 
Foreign presence forces are in Gabon, Djibouti, Senegal, 
the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.  The table on 
French Force Disposition and Exterior Operations presents 
the detailed numbers of personnel in each location and the 
additional expenditures of each operation.  In total, these 
capacity building measures cost France 650 million Euros in 
2004 (approximately USD 790 million). 
 
¶83.  (U) The RECAMP (Reinforcing the Capabilities of 
Africans to Maintain Peace) program remains France's 
flagship strategy for defense and military cooperation in 
Africa.  The goal of RECAMP is to support an autonomous 
African security capability.  It is also a multinational 
program to support the stability of Africa.  RECAMP is 
based on three pillars: cooperation, training, and support 
of African operational engagements.  To support operations, 
France provides African forces with the materials and 
equipment necessary to deploy from three French battalion- 
size RECAMP depots.  These depots are located in Dakar, 
Libreville, and Djibouti.  France has offered to make these 
depots available for USG use.  The French Military 
Cooperation Directorate has a 100 million Euro annual 
budget and manages a network of 220 French military 
personnel located at African military schools and training 
centers. 
 
¶84.  (U) In the last cycle for RECAMP IV in West Africa 
(Benin) in 2004 -2005, there were 14 African and 16 non- 
African participating states, including the United States. 
France seeks the participation of all African states in 
RECAMP and solicits participation bilaterally and through 
the African Union and sub-regional organizations.  France 
also seeks multinational participation in the form of donor 
states and an increasing role of the European Union (EU). 
The program's present orientation focuses at the strategic- 
level and seeks to prepare the African sub-regional 
organizations and eventually the African Standby Forces 
(ASF) for peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and 
disaster relief operations. 
 
¶85.  (U) Additional Capacity Building Examples:  During 
2005 in Chad, more than 300 French air force aviators 
conducted security and reconnaissance missions within the 
framework of the humanitarian operation Darfur. 
 
¶86.  (U) French Gendarmerie has taken the lead in the 
development of the European Gendarmerie Force.  The initial 
commander of the force in the development of the 
headquarters is a French Gendarme General and the first 
headquarters exercise was conducted in France.  The 
Gendarmerie has been consistently been asked to provide 
general and specialized training to other Gendarme forces 
or police forces throughout the world and particularly in 
the middle east and Africa.  In fact, one French military 
police detachment is deployed in support of the United 
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) 
 
¶87.  (U) In Haiti, 40 Gendarme personnel supported the 
Multinational Stabilization Force  (MINUSTAH) as part of 
the 1,000-man contingent of French personnel. 
 
88  (U) Over 150 Gendarme personnel provided international 
police support for the United Nations Mission to Cote 
D'Ivoire (UNOCI) and to support French intervention during 
operation Licorne.  This contingent helped protect and 
guard functions for diplomatic and disarmament missions of 
the Joint Tactics Group. 
 
¶89.  (U) In both 2004 and 2005 French Gendarmerie supported 
International Police Missions with detachments of officers 
and Gendarmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 
Chad, and the Central Africa Republic.  In 2004, French 
Gendarmes conducted training for the establishment of a 
European Union Integrated Police Unit in Kinshasa, Kenya. 
In the years 2004 and 2005 approximately 600 French 
National Gendarmes were deployed outside France in support 
of operations or as reinforcements to diplomatic missions. 
Although the numbers fluctuate between the years, the 
approximate strengths provided reflect France's general 
willingness to contribute gendarme personnel and forces in 
support of international efforts. 
 
¶90.  (U) In the summer of 2004, the French began a joint 
fighter pilot training school in Cazeaux, France. Spain, 
Germany, Singapore, Greece, Switzerland and Poland have 
indicated interest in joining. The French also completed 
air policing agreements with Spain, Germany, Switzerland, 
and Italy allowing greater effectiveness of cross border 
air defense. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
Subpara E:  Counterproliferation Contributions and other 
GWOT contributions 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶91.  (U) As a nuclear state, France endorses deterrence 
theory and holds to long-standing NATO doctrines.  It has 
consistently supported international arms control regimes 
as a means of bolstering stability and transparency.  It 
worked closely with the U.S. leading up to the 2000 
Nonproliferation Treaty review conference, and was actively 
involved with U.S. experts in preparing for the 2004 
prepcom.  Although the French remain concerned over 
cessation of U.S. efforts to achieve ratification of the 
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), French officials have 
also endorsed the need for updating international strategic 
doctrine to include protections such as missile defense, as 
well as deterrence and regulatory measures. 
 
¶92.  (U) France serves effectively as permanent secretariat 
for the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and 
participates actively in the Australia Group for the 
control of chemicals, bio-agents/toxins, and technologies 
related to CBW, as well as the Nuclear Suppliers Group 
(NSG) for controlling nuclear-related, dual-use 
technologies.  France strongly supports U.S.-initiated 
Global Threat Security Initiative efforts, and pursuant to 
that initiative hosted a major conference in Bordeaux in 
June 2005 on identifying radiological sources.  It has 
worked closely with the United States on several transfer 
cases involving French companies under the Proliferation 
Security Initiative.  France has encouraged continued work 
within the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD) to help 
develop guidelines for a fissile material cutoff treaty 
regime, and supports activities of that body with respect 
to small arms and unexploded ordnance.  It coordinates 
closely with the U.S. on enforcement of the Chemical 
Weapons Convention at the OPCW in The Hague, and on 
implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention in 
Geneva. 
 
¶93.  (SBU) France accepted the U.S.-proposed G8 
architecture that would allow more effective use of the 
forum, as well as better management of ongoing G8 projects 
including those aimed at reducing stocks of weapons-grade 
plutonium in Russia.  (France also has a bilateral programs 
aimed at helping Russia destroy CW holdings.)  France has 
supported efforts to single out North Korea and Iran as 
states of particular concern on the proliferation front. 
The French support bringing North Korea before the UNSC for 
its violations of international nonproliferation 
obligations.  The French share U.S. concerns over Iran's 
pursuit of nuclear weapons; and with their British and 
German colleagues pursued EU3 negotiations to obtain 
Iranian compliance with Iran's Safeguard Agreement 
commitments.  EU3 efforts led to the signing of the Paris 
Agreement in November 2004, under which Iran suspended its 
nuclear conversion and enrichment efforts during ongoing 
negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.  Iranian resumption 
of conversion in August 2005, and research on enrichment in 
December 2005, led to suspension of Paris Agreement 
discussions.  France and its EU partners, with U.S. 
support, continue to pursue efforts to convince Iran to 
suspend its nuclear ambitions. 
 
¶94.  (U) The French military continues to maintain strong 
contacts with the U.S. and other NATO countries for 
contingency planning.  During 2004 and 2005, France 
conducted planning and exchanges with EUCOM and CENTCOM. 
French and U.S. analysts and planners share information on 
terrorism and WMD proliferation as well as political- 
military developments.  From the beginning of operations in 
Afghanistan (both OEF and ISAF), and the Lebanon crisis, 
French and U.S. planners have continued to work together to 
produce effective, timely results.  French forces 
permanently or temporarily stationed in Africa and Central 
Asia have assisted U.S. operations in the EUCOM and CENTCOM 
theater of operations. 
 
¶95.  (U) The French government also provides overflight 
clearance and landing assistance to US counter-narcotic 
operations in the SOUTHCOM theater of operations.  France 
maintains a liaison officer with the Joint Interagency Task 
ForceSouth, and provides access to French overseas 
territories for U.S. counter-narcotic operations. 
 
¶96.  (U) Since July 1, 2005 the French Armed Forces have an 
entirely deployable NBC defense regiment (2nd Dragoon 
regiment), which is equipped with specific tools to combat 
radiation, nuclear, biological and chemical risks.  This 
regiment's missions are to prevent and handle military or 
technological incidents as well as restore the operational 
capacities of the forces deployed. 
 
 
------------------------ 
------------------------ 
REF A PARA 13: 
PFP AND NATO ENLARGEMENT 
------------------------ 
------------------------ 
 
 
¶97.  (U) Since the inauguration of the Partnership for 
Peace (PfP) in 1994, France has supported the program and 
participated in its exercises.  France believes that PfP 
has increased awareness of NATO policies, procedures and 
standards among both aspirants and nonmembers that do not 
seek membership but that nevertheless wish to participate 
in collective security arrangements.  France believes that 
the involvement of Central Asian and Caucasus states in PfP 
has directly increased their willingness to assist in the 
war on terrorism.  France was an early supporter of the 
broad-based invitation list accepted at the Prague Summit. 
France favors continued MAP-related assistance to 
Macedonia, Albania, and Croatia, and essentially shares 
U.S. perspectives on eventual PfP membership for Bosnia- 
Herzegovina and Serbia-Montenegro.  France favors extending 
PfP-like benefits to states in the current Mediterranean 
Dialogue. 
 
 
----------------------------------- 
GENERAL DATA ON THE FRENCH MILITARY 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶98.  (U) French Force Dispositions and External Operations: 
As of December 
 
LOCATION/20042005TYPE2004 
OPERATIONPer #Per #Mission Cost/M 
Euros 
Haiti/MINUSTAH  42  42CBNa 
Gulf Guinea/CORYMBE 103 230CB  6.23 
Cote d'Ivoire/LICORNE54554166CB186.0 
Cameroon  50  49CB  2.99 
Togo/Gabon/LICORNE 268  99CBNa 
CAR/BOALI/FOMUC 213 217CB  7.7 
Chad10661086CBNa 
Macedonia/ARYM  27  17IM  4.56 
Bosnia/EUFOR/EUPM 598 476IM 67.9 
Kosovo/KFOR/MINUK32672239IM146.5 
Georgia/MONUG   3   3IMNa 
Lebanon/Israel/UN 209 200IMNa 
Palestine   0   3IMNa 
Sinai/FMO  15  15IMNa 
Afghan/OEF/ISAF12701047IM 99.3 
Afghan/BAHRAL   0  49IMNa 
OEF/CJTF150 +HOA 290 681IMNa 
BERYX   0  10IMNa 
0 1047 IM  99.3 
Afghan/BAHRAL     0   49 IM Na 
OEF/CJTF150 +HOA   290  681 IM Na 
BERYX       0   10 IM Na 
Ethiopia/MINUEE   1   1IM   .1 
Sudan-Darfur/DORCA   4   9IMNa 
Burundi/MONUC   3   1IMNa 
DROC/MONUC  17  16IM  2.3 
Liberia/UNMIL   2   1IMNa 
¶W. Sahara/MINURSO  25  24IM  1.2 
Pacific Ocean 182 176FPNa 
Senegal11071226FPNa 
Djibouti28732831FPNa 
Gabon 648 722FPNa 
Indian Ocean 390 466FPNa 
French Guiana32573353SFNa 
Antilles42014202SFNa 
Reunion-Mayotte39834133SFNa 
New Caledonia26542757SFNa 
Polynesia25922153SFNa 
St Pierre/Miquelon  77  68SFNa 
 
Total34,947 32,798 
CB:  Capacity Building Forces 
IM:  International Mandate Forces 
FP:  Forward Presence Forces 
SF:  Sovereignty Forces 
 
 
 
Army: Major Equipment Deliveries 2004-2005 
------------------------------------------ 
 
Intelligence: 
-18 UAV 
Command and Control: 
-60 2nd Generation Tactical and Intelligence Systems 
Aviation: 
-10 Tiger Helicopters 
Armored Vehicle Systems: 
-60 LECLERC Tanks 
-8 Tank Recovery vehicles 
-32 AMX 10RC Armored Personnel Carrier upgraded 
ems: 
 -60 LECLERC Tanks 
 -8 Tank Recovery vehicles 
 -32 AMX 10RC Armored Personnel Carrier upgraded 
-660 VAB Wheeled Armored Personnel Vehicles 
-130 VB2L Command and Control Vehicles 
Artillery and Counter-Fire Systems: 
-38 canons 155mm AUF 1 TA 
-6 radars COBRA 
-5 systems ATLAS 
Transportation: 
-1,000 GBC 180 Trucks 
 
 
 
Navy: Major Equipment Deliveries 2004-2005 
------------------------------------------ 
 
Intelligence: 
-1 Intelligence collection ship 
Submarines: 
-1 Ballistic missile submarine 
Ships: 
-4 Minesweepers 
-1 Ocean going Tug 
-1 Research Vessel 
Missiles: 
-80 Mica Air to Air 
-40 Crotale (marine) 
-50 Aster Ground to Air 
-20 Scalp-EG Cruise Missile 
-50 Torpedoes 
 
 
 
Air Force: Major Equipment Deliveries 2004-2005 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
Aircraft: 
-10 Rafale fighter aircraft 
-3 UAV's 
-1 A-310 Transport 
-7 NH-90 helicopters 
Missiles: 
-150 Mica Air to Air 
-50 Scalp-EG Cruise Missiles 
-40 AS-30 Laser Missiles 
Satellite:  -1 Syracuse Military Comm 
 
FRENCH MILITARY PERSONNEL 2004-2005 
----------------------------------- 
 
TYPEArmyAir ForceNavy 
TYPE  Army  Air Force  Navy 
Officer 16,500 6,875 5,100 
Enlisted117,50052,60040,100 
Civilian 27,500 6,500 9,600 
Total161,50065,97554,800 
 
 
 
 
--------------------------- 
MAJOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------------- 
 
¶99.  (U) Please note that the new French presentation of 
budgetary information (the LOLF, first mentioned in 
paragraph 29) is sufficiently complicated to compel embassy 
Paris to include more detail on this new means of reporting 
economic information (see paragraphs 111-113). 
 
¶100.  (U) France is presently the fifth largest industrial 
economy in the world, with a USD 2 trillion annual Gross 
Domestic Product (GDP), about one sixth the size of the GDP 
of the United States in 2005. France is the fifth-largest 
exporter and the fourth-largest importer in the world 
merchandise trade, and is a global leader in high 
technology, defense, agricultural products and services. 
France is the ninth-largest trading partner of the United 
ading partner of the United 
States and our third largest in Europe (after Germany and 
the UK). 
 
Economic Growth 
--------------- 
 
¶101.  (U) Real GPD in France rebounded to 2.1% in 2004, 
compared to 0.9% in 2003, thanks to reviving domestic 
demand, which turned in one of the best performances in the 
EU-15.  Nonetheless, economic recovery became less robust 
under the shocks of oil price hikes and the rise in value 
of the euro against the dollar.  The government realized 
early in 2005 that achieving its 2.5% GDP growth objective 
would be hard to achieve without taking some action.  In 
February, May, and June 2005, the government announced 
measures to encourage consumption, stimulate activity of 
companies, boost exports, and tackle unemployment.  Most of 
these measures are not likely to have immediate impacts. 
The "No" vote in France's May 29, 2005 referendum on 
Europe's new constitution was widely interpreted as a sign 
of French voters' deep-rooted unease with France's economic 
and social malaise.  Public-sector unions' demonstrations 
against government plans to reduce the size of the 
government (e.g., cut jobs), as part of France's European 
commitment to reduce the budget deficit to below 3% of GDP 
in 2005, fed public fears of outsourcing, enlargement of 
the European Union, immigration, deregulation of European 
markets and further deterioration in the labor situation. 
After the referendum vote, the French government underwent 
a cabinet shake-up, and in September 2005, the government 
unveiled its plan for a "social economy", the key feature 
of which is the retention of the French social model. 
 
¶102.  (U) Despite government measures, real GDP growth 
weakened in 2005, and the government had to revise its GDP 
growth target from 2.5% to 2.0%, and later shift to a GDP 
growth target range of 1.5 to 2%.  Nonetheless, in January 
2006, the government said that it was confident 2005 GDP 
growth would fall within the 1.5-2.0% range, predicting a 
2.0-2.4% (annualized) growth in the fourth quarter. 
Economists, members of the Consensus Group of 17 banks and 
institutions, forecast GDP growth to range from 1.8% to 
2.1% in 2005.  Two thirds of them forecast GDP to increase 
at least 2% in 2006. That is the bottom of the 2.0-2.5% 
range the government has forecast for 2006. 
 
Inflation 
--------- 
 
¶103.  (U) Inflation in France remains low and under 
control, despite oil price increases.  Wage increase 
requests remained moderate in 2004 and 2005 due to the weak 
labor situation.  Consumer prices increased 1.5% in 
December 2005 on a year-overyear basis, compared with 2.1% 
in December 2004. 
 
Labor Situation 
--------------- 
 
¶104.  (U) The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 10% 
throughout 2004.  Unemployment decreased to 9.6% in 
November 2005 after peaking at 10.2% in March 2005, a 5- 
year high. It remained higher than the government objective 
of 9% for a variety of reasons, including low job creation 
in the private sector, despite a decrease in persons 
looking for work and government measures introduced in 2005 
for job creation, including government-subsidized 
contracts.  With the 2007 presidential elections in mind, 
the government has chosen to subsidize job creation, rather 
than press for economic reforms to address structural 
causes of unemployment.  In January 2006, the government 
announced the creation of another new employment program 
aimed at boosting youth employment, since the youth 
unemployment rate remained high (22.8% in November 2005). 
Prior to this announcement, private-sector economists had 
projected the unemployment rate to decrease only slightly 
in 2006 due to modest job creation in the private sector. 
 
Budget Deficit, Public Debt and the EU Stability and Growth 
Pact 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶105.  (U) In 2004, France broke the EU stability and growth 
pact limit with a budget deficit over 3% of GDP for the 
third straight year.  The 2004 overall budget deficit 
including central government, social security and local 
authorities exceeded 3.6% of GDP in 2004, falling from 4.2% 
in 2003 due lower growth in central government spending. 
The deficit remained above 3% of GDP mainly due to a rise 
in social security expenditures, notably health insurance. 
The government has been struggling to reduce the budget 
deficit in the face of lower-than-expected economic growth. 
Reducing the budget deficit depends on high tax receipts 
(thus on solid economic growth), finding ways to check 
social spending, particularly for health care, and sticking 
to a "zero budget growth" policy among all ministries, 
while being mindful of opposition politicians and unions' 
resistance to reforms. 
 
¶106.  (U) In January 2006, Finance Minister Thierry Breton 
said that the economy's vigor in the second half of 2005, 
combined with strict control of central government budget 
spending, made him confident that France would finally 
respect the 3%-of-GDP ceiling in 2005.  Higher than 
expected tax receipts at year-end 2005, notably due to an 
earlier collection of the corporate income tax downpayment, 
allowed the government to project a budget deficit of 2.9% 
in 2005.  Nonetheless, the overall deficit is still overly 
dependent on progress tackling the public sector health 
insurance deficit. 
 
¶107.  (U) France's public debt continued to significantly 
exceed the EU's stability and growth pact limit of 60% of 
GDP, amounting to 64.7% of GDP in 2004, and an estimated 
66.2% of GDP in 2005.  To fund its debt and repay maturing 
debt, the government will sell 125 billion euros in notes 
and bonds in 2006.  In 2005, much of the financing of the 
public debt came from payments by the state-owned company 
Electricite de France, in exchange for the government 
assuming pension liabilities.  The government will be 
considering other proposals to reduce the public debt, and 
is earmarking privatization proceeds for debt reduction. 
 
Reforms 
------- 
 
¶108.  (U) France has to pursue efforts on structural 
reforms to achieve its full economic potential and to 
improve its competitiveness.  Prime areas for reform 
include continued tax and government spending reduction, 
increased flexibility of labor markets, and further 
deregulation of goods and services sectors.  The 
government, formed after presidential and legislative 
elections in spring 2002, has undertaken reforms slowly. 
President Chirac appears determined to keep electoral 
promises, such as tax cuts.  The French benefited from five 
per cent income tax cuts in 2002, one percent in 2003, and 
another three per cent in 2004.  However, the government in 
2005 had to stop cutting taxes due to its ballooning budget 
deficit.  On the positive side, France has responded to 
competitive pressures by implementing market-oriented 
economic reforms of its pension and health insurance 
systems, simplifying administrative procedures, and 
offering a variety of investment incentives.  France is 
changing its historic tendency of centralization in favor 
of transferring more power to its regional territories, to 
free the territories' energies, to eliminate redundant 
structures, and to make productivity gains at the national 
and local levels.  In 2005, the government made labor 
regulations more flexible to facilitate lay-offs, modified 
the law to make the 35-hour workweek more flexible and 
created new hiring contracts which limit minimum lay-off 
procedures for companies of less than 20 employees. 
Negotiations between businesses and employees 
representatives begun in December 2005 might result in a 
reduction of unemployment benefits.  The government has 
indicated its intention to continue reforms:  reforming the 
tax structure, eliminating labor market rigidities, and 
scaling back the role of the state in the economy. 
Regarding privatizations, the government announced 
preliminary plans in 2002, but the subsequent global slump 
in air transportation and equity markets put a brake in 
privatizations through the sale of shares.  In 2003 and 
2004, the government reduced its stakes in large companies 
such as Air France-KLM (to 44.6 from 54.0 percent), France 
Telecom (to 42.2 from 54.5 percent), Thales (formerly 
Thomson CSF, to 31.3 from 33.3 percent), Renault (to 15.6 
from 26.0 percent), and Thomson (to 2.0 from 20.8 percent 
through TSA).  Smaller projects were carried out, such as 
the privatizations of SAPRR (Paris-Rhin-Rhone highway 
company), and of the electricity company SNET.  In 2005, 
the government sold shares in the energy sector companies 
EDF and GDF, retaining a 85.9% stake in EDF and a 79% stake 
in GDF, but postponed the privatization of the nuclear 
energy company, Areva.  After a long process in 2005, the 
sale of toll-road companies ASF, APRR and Sanef will be 
effective in early 2006.  Capital openings for employees of 
Aeroports de Paris and EDF are planned for 2006.  The 
government still has stakes in Bull and Safran (renamed 
after Sagem merged with Snecma), and in 1,280 other firms, 
and has stated its intention to continue privatization. 
 
Defense Spending  Defense budgets  2006 Highlights 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶109.  (U) The French central government budget process 
operates on a different cycle and with different precepts 
than the U.S. system. Budgets for the year ahead are 
adopted on or about December 30 of a given calendar year, 
and may be adjusted one or more times in the course of the 
year during which spending occurs.  The 2004 initial 
defense budget (E 41.6 billion including pensions or USD 
51.7 billion) was adjusted to include additional spending 
and cancellations.  The adjustment cancelled 471 million 
euros or USD 586 million to credit payments, and allotted 
870 million euros or USD 1,082 million to credit payments 
for military operating spending, including for external 
operations (608 million euros or USD 756 million). 
Similarly, the initial 2005 budget was modified, notably 
y 
allotting 467 million euros (USD 581 million) to credit 
payments for external operations in 2005. 
 
¶110.  (U) The following tables trace the evolution of 
overall defense budgets from 2003 to 2006 in millions of 
euros.  Percentages reflect nominal changes, not/not 
corrected for inflation.  Post provides separate charts for 
planned and actual expenditures in order to demonstrate 
that within-year adjustments (use of support funds 
appropriations), as well as changes in appropriations and 
in the way they are allocated are the norm for France, and 
to emphasize that France increased its commitment to 
defense significantly beginning in 2003.  In 2004, defense 
spending increased 0.25% to 11.42% of the central 
government budget, and 0.5% to 2.01% of GDP. Based on 
initial government data, defense spending in 2005 accounted 
for 14.7% of the central government budget, and 2.5% of 
GDP. 
 
      PlannedActual 
      Defenseper cent.Defenseper cent 
      BudgetschangeSpendingchange 
ding change 
      (INCL. pensions)(EXCL. Pensions) 
 
(euro millions)(euro millions) 
 
2003  39,9646.130,1763.3 
 
 
2004  41,5654.031,3283.8 
 
200542,4242.1n.a.n.a. 
 
(Note:  Military pensions come under the defense budget in 
the planned budget, but are considered as civilian 
expenditures when the budget comes to execution.) 
 
---------------------------- 
Evolution of Defense Budgets 
---------------------------- 
 
       (euro millions) 
 
CY03CY04CY05 
------------ 
 
Title III 17,42617,50417,725 
(Operations) 
Credit Payments 
 
 
Title V & VI13,64414,89815,198 
(Procurement 
and Debt Service) 
 
 
Total Credit31,07032,40232,923 
Payments 
 
 
Title V & VI15,30016,76915,315 
(Program 
authorizations) 
 
 
Pensions       9,8109,91010,062 
 
 
 
2006 New Presentation 
--------------------- 
 
¶111.  (U) Beginning in 2006, the government modified 
greatly its budget presentation pursuant to the August 1, 
2001 Law pertaining to financial bills ("Loi Organique de 
, 
2001 Law pertaining to financial bills ("Loi Organique de 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
PROG 02/02/06 
DCM:KHOFMANN 
POL:LORDEMAN 
POLM/C:JROSENBLATT, POL:GRECINOS, DATT:MGUILLOT, 
ECON:KMERTEN, ECON:OVANMAERSSEN 
 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
SECSTATE WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
SECSTATE WASHDC 
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USNMR SHAPE BE 
USMISSION GENEVA 
USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 
 
STATE FOR PM/SNA, EUR/WE; OSD FOR OSD/PA&E, OASD/ISA/EUR, 
OASD/ISA/NP, OASD/ISA/AP, OASD/ISA/NESA AND OASD/ISA/BTF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR MCAP MARR MCAP MARR MCAP FR FR PREL FR PREL
SUBJECT: EMBASSY PARIS SUBMISSION TO THE 2005/2006 REPORT 
TO CONGRESS ON ALLIED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMON DEFENSE 
REF: A. STATE 223383 
     ¶B. PARIS 000005 
 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Not for 
Internet dissemination. 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  This telegram constitutes Embassy Paris's 
country submission for the 2005/2006 Report to Congress on 
Allied Contributions to the Common Defense (requested Ref 
A).  We report on developments that took place during 
calendar years 2004 and 2005 and offer cost sharing 
information for U.S. fiscal years 2004 and 2005.  Embassy's 
contributions to the Report to Congress are keyed to 
paragraphs in Ref A where specific information is 
requested.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------- 
--------------------------------- 
Ref A Para 8:  General Assessment 
--------------------------------- 
--------------------------------- 
 
Overview 
-------- 
¶2.  (U) France bears a significant share of the burden of 
defending international security and stability.  It is 
firmly committed to conflict resolution, non- and 
counterproliferation, as well as to maintaining adequate 
conventional and nuclear capabilities.  Only a few nations 
have the military capability to project power to a distant 
theater and sustain operations.  France is one of these 
nations.  It has the military personnel, equipment, and 
command capabilities as well as the will to employ them 
throughout the world.  It is this total operational 
capability, and the resolve to act on the international 
stage, which allows the French military to participate and 
lead in an international framework, including through the 
European Union and NATO.  Africa comprises the heaviest 
French military commitment abroad.  However, France is also 
a significant contributor to international military 
operations in Central--Southwest Asia and the Balkans.  By 
helping to stabilize sensitive areas in Central Asia, the 
Balkans, or in Sub-Saharan Africa, overseas operations led 
by the French Armed Forces have helped to prevent those 
areas from becoming safe-havens for terrorist activity. 
Throughout 2004 and 2005, France has been a major 
contributor in the fight against terrorism as part of the 
international coalition in Afghanistan.  As such, France 
volunteered to participate under the command of the United 
States in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).  Moreover, 
security, stabilization and training operations led by the 
French Armed Forces within the International Security 
Assistance Force (ISAF) is helping Afghanistan in its 
transition from a terrorist sanctuary to a growing 
democracy. 
 
¶3.  (U) France maintains the largest active duty military 
force in the European Union and the second largest active 
duty military force in NATO, with an active force of 
approximately 355,000.  Furthermore, France sustains a 
large percentage of this active duty force deployed in 
operations in overseas French territories or in sovereign 
territories around the world.  The average number of 
deployed forces outside of France was 35,000 in 2004, and 
32,500 in 2005.  Over 13,500 of those deployed are actively 
engaged in international mandates supporting counter- 
terrorist operations, humanitarian operations, peacekeeping 
operations, stability operations, and capacity building. 
To support this level of external international mandate 
operations, France spends approximately USD 790 million per 
year from a defense budget of 52 billion dollars. 
 
France's Global Reach: Peace Support Operations Worldwide 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶4.  (U) France eagerly participates in international peace 
support operations and is a leading force contributor to 
stabilization operations in the Balkans and in Africa.  In 
Cote d'Ivoire, France's most significant overseas 
operation, French troops enforce a tenuous cease-fire and 
are providing the backbone to the United Nations operation 
as a quick reaction force.  French troops have been 
actively engaged since the summer of 2004 in preventing the 
Darfur crisis from expanding into Chad.  In the Balkans, 
French troops are present in every military mission across 
Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia: SFOR/EUFOR, KFOR, UNMIBH, 
UNMIK, EUMM, and ALTHEA. During "Operation Secure 
Tomorrow," to stabilize Haiti, France deployed the second 
largest contingent alongside the United States. 
Contributing troops under international mandate is a point 
of principle in Paris.  The UN, where France has a veto as 
a permanent member of the Security Council, is its 
preferred forum for crisis resolution.  France has 
observers currently participating in UN missions in the 
Balkans, Georgia, Lebanon, Israel, Ethiopia/Eritrea, 
Burundi, DROC, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Western Sahara, and 
Haiti.  It also participates in the multinational force in 
the Sinai. 
 
 
France and the War in Iraq 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) The French government has forbidden its military 
from contributing troops to the NATO training mission 
inside Iraq (NTM-1).  One French officer is working on the 
training mission staff at SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium, 
and the GoF pledged 660,000 euros in February 2005 to help 
finance NTM-1.  In 2005, the GoF took initial steps to 
contribute to the development of Iraqi defense and security 
capabilities.  Under the European Union's EUJUSTLEX 
program, France has pledged to train 200 Iraqi police 
officials and judges in rule of law training in France, 
making France the top EU contributor to this program. 
Approximately 40 Iraqi police officials (non-military) 
completed month-long training at the Ecole Nationale 
Superieure des Officiers de Police and the Ecole Nationale 
de Police in 2005.  A third course started at the end of 
2005 for judicial instruction at the Ecole Nationale de la 
Magistrature.  At the same time, a French offer to train up 
to 1,500 Iraqi paramilitary police (gendarmes) outside Iraq 
remains unimplemented, although an Iraqi Ministry of 
Interior delegation visited France in July 2005 to further 
discuss the proposal.  Currently there is a single Gendarme 
Officer in Iraq, responsible for provision of security for 
French embassy staff in Baghdad. 
 
 
France and the War on Terrorism 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) France is currently the third-largest contributor 
to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force 
(ISAF) in Afghanistan, and one of the few nations other 
than the U.S. to have had troops engaged in Operation 
Enduring Freedom, ISAF and training programs for the Afghan 
army since these efforts began.  French Mirage-2000 
fighters have flown with USAF fighters to assist American 
and Afghan ground troops.  French deployments to the Horn 
of Africa remain focused on counterterrorism; the French 
assisted in the establishment of USCJTF Horn of Africa, and 
otherwise continue to allow the U.S. to share their base in 
Djibouti in connection with operations in the Indian Ocean, 
Red Sea and Persian Gulf.  France is a part of Task Force 
150, a multinational naval force that patrols the Red Sea 
and the Persian Gulf to interdict the movement of suspected 
terrorists from Afghanistan to the Arabian Peninsula. 
 
¶7.  (U) France participates in Operation Active Endeavor in 
the Eastern Mediterranean.  France is also actively 
involved with the Proliferation Security Initiative.  It is 
also a party to all 12 existing international terrorism 
conventions and is active in the UN and G8 counterterrorism 
committees. 
 
¶8.  (U) In 2005, France continued to discover and dismantle 
terror networks present on its soil, including several that 
recruited jihadists to Iraq.  Following the July 2005 
bombings in London, French officials worked closely with 
their British counterparts.  They also identified a number 
of deficiencies in their counterterrorism capabilities, and 
proposed legislation to remedy these deficiencies.  This 
fast-tracked legislation became law in late January, 2006. 
The French government is also expected to issue in February 
2006 a "white book" on terrorism that will underscore their 
belief that terrorism is a primary strategic threat to 
France, and that dealing with it is consequentially a 
central priority.  France consults extensively with the 
U.S. on terrorism, at the tactical and strategic level. 
 
 
Africa 
------ 
 
¶9.  (U) The French military has shown an increasing 
interest to cooperate with others, particularly with the 
U.S., in Africa.  In the past three years, there have been 
Non-combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) executed in three 
African countries, NEO planning for four other potential 
crises, as well as U.S. and French multilateral programs, 
such as GPOI - ACOTA, RECAMP, and joint financial and 
logistical support for ECOWAS, ECCAS, and the African 
Union.  In the Gulf of Guinea and Trans-Sahel region, 
France has expressed interest in the U.S. effort to improve 
the posture of African countries in the fight against 
terrorism.  Both the U.S. and France continue to broadly 
support capacity building for African militaries.  (See 
paragraphs 12, 32 40, 42-43, 46, 59, 72, 82-86, 89 and 94 
for more on French involvement in Africa.) 
 
 
France, NATO and ESDP 
--------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Despite its singular stance on alliance 
membership (France is not a member of NATO's integrated 
military command), France has continued to demonstrate 
willingness to engage in NATO responses to common 
challenges.  France has been a major contributor to 
operations in the Balkans (SFOR, now EUFOR, and KFOR) and 
in NATO's operations in Afghanistan (International Security 
Assistance Force). In KFOR in Kosovo, French troops are the 
second-largest national contingent, significantly 
outnumbering U.S. units.  In Afghanistan, France has some 
900 troops, which will increase to approximately 1400 in 
August 2006, when France assumes command of the Kabul 
region of ISAF.  During December 2004-August 2005, France 
held the rotating command of ISAF.  France also contributed 
to NATO Humanitarian Relief Operations in Bagh, Pakistan. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The French have consistently expressed their 
support for NATO's transformation, and are contributing 
substantial resources to the NATO Response Force:  the 
French military has identified forces that at initial 
stages will amount to 40 per cent of ground units, 30 per 
cent of air assets, and 20 per cent of naval capabilities, 
and has proposed contributing EUROCORPS to the NRF at a 
later stage.  France has restructured some of its own 
forces with land, air and sea High Readiness Response force 
fully compatible with the NATO Response Force.  It has 
offered headquarter slots in Lille for fellow NATO members. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  Interest in being part of NATO transformation 
has not diminished the deep commitment of the GoF to 
fostering European security and defense arrangements.  Many 
in the GoF envision that transatlantic security relations 
of the future will increasingly include bilateral U.S.-EU 
cooperation. Throughout 2004 and 2005, the French 
vigorously pursued their goal of establishing independent 
European defense structures and supporting increased EU 
missions.  France supported an EU assistance mission to 
Darfur in the Sudan, to support the African Union's 
intervention.  France continues to push its EU partners for 
completion of a separate EU planning headquarters, a small 
but independent EU operational planning unit, as well as an 
EU cell at SHAPE. EU operations may also continue to be 
planned at national headquarters.  Additionally, France has 
been a key player in setting up and funding the European 
Defense procurement agency (EDA), designed to coordinate 
defense procurement among EU allies, and which became 
operational in 2005 with a small staff numbering some 80 
persons and a budget of 20 million euros. 
 
¶13.   (U)  In January 2006, the European gendarmerie force 
was formally inaugurated in Vicenza, Italy.  The concept 
dates back to October 2003, when French Defense Minister 
Michele Alliot-Marie proposed the creation of the European 
gendarmerie consisting of some 800 gendarmes from Spain, 
Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands to take on police 
training and other police functions as part of the EU's 
response to crises. 
 
 
French Training and Participation in Joint Exercises 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶14.  (U) In the European AOR, in cooperation with the US 
Commander Naval Forces Europe, the French Navy participated 
in 3 Non-NATO exercises and 6 NATO exercises in 2004 
including a Proliferation Security Initiative exercise, a 
NATO anti-submarine exercise, a Multi-lateral Livex, PFP 
exercise BALTOPS 04, and a NATO Joint fleet training 
exercise (a major NRF event sponsored by NATO). 
 
¶15.  (U) In 2005, France participated in 6 Non-NATO 
exercises and 13 NATO exercises.  The French Navy 
participated in RECAMP IV, JMC 05-1 and 05-2, a 
multilateral FTX helping qualify the Italian maritime High 
Readiness Force (HRF), two multilateral anti-submarine 
exercises, Trident D'Or (the exercise to qualify the French 
maritime HRF, a LIVEX Mine Warfare Exercise in the North 
Sea, FRUKUS (CPX/FTX with French, Russian, U.S., and U.K. 
navy participation, Sorbet Royale (a LIVEX Submarine Rescue 
Exercise), Bright Star (a multi-national, multi-warfare 
LIVEX executing in Egypt), Loyal Midas (a multilateral FTX 
to qualify a stand-by Maritime Component Commander for a 
future NRF rotation. 
 
¶16.  (U) Overall objectives for Navy training in 2005 were: 
100 days at sea per ship, 13 exercises, four of which were 
Amphibious exercises, three of which were mine warfare 
exercises, two deployments of the Charles de Gaulle CVBG, 
participation in one major NATO exercise, participation in 
one major EU exercise and five Joint exercises. 
 
¶17.  (U) The French air force continues to seek 
opportunities to exercise and train with the US.  During 
2005, the French air force participated in Exercise Bright 
Star in Egypt, and Exercise Air Warrior in the US.  France 
also continues to offer the US opportunities to use their 
training ranges and training airspace associated with 
Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. 
 
 
French Support for Space Launch Activities 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶18.  (U) France supported multiple space launch activities 
from their facilities in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and 
the south of France.  The French government approved a US 
request to use the islands of Reunion and Nuka Hiva for 
telemetry tracking missions supporting NASA space launches. 
Additionally, the French support US space shuttle launches 
with access to the French Air Base in Istres France as an 
alternate shuttle landing site. 
 
 
Defense Trade and Industrial Cooperation 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶19.  (U) Source priorities in order of importance for 
French defense acquisition remain France, EU, and all 
others (to include the U.S.).  National pride and limited 
budgets govern this order.  The French defense industry 
continues to provide the greatest depth and breadth of any 
western European country.  While its technology is 
sometimes peer-level with the U.S., it is actually superior 
in specific niche areas (e.g., thermal imaging and optics). 
The single most limiting factor is defense spending. 
¶20.  (U) In the past year, the French Ministry of Defense 
continued its pursuit of revitalization of forces.  Despite 
competing government interests, the budget of the Defense 
Ministry remained untouched (the Interior was the only 
other ministry spared from budget cuts).  Highlights for 
2005-2006 spending include: a second aircraft carrier; 
introduction of the Rafale fighter aircraft; the European 
Multi-Mission Frigate (FREMM); Network-Centric command and 
control systems; Tigre and NH-90 helicopters; transport 
aircraft; third and fourth strategic missile submarines; 
and cruise missile development.  Only minor increases in 
research and development, as compared to previous years, 
were approved. 
 
¶21.  (U) Foreign Military Sales from the US increased from 
FY03 to FY04 (USD 45.6M to USD 66.9M), while direct 
commercial sales decreased  (USD 18.9M to USD 12.7M.) 
Pending US sales include the Aircraft Launch and Recovery 
Equipment (ALRE) for the second French aircraft carrier, 
and a cruise missile simulator.  FMS training funds were 
expended as in previous years, with the majority centered 
on carrier aviation training and support. 
 
¶22.  (U) Service-specific Data Exchange Agreements (DEAs) 
remained essentially stable, yet significantly, 
renegotiation of four Navy DEAs was concluded, extending 
their expiration dates to 2010.  Discussions continue 
regarding remaining DEAs and four newly proposed 
agreements.  Foreign Comparative Testing programs continue 
to show interest in French technologies, with recent focus 
on underwater GPS, perimeter defense, shipboard self- 
defense, and bomb casing design.  Benchmarking studies have 
been conducted on ship design and manpower reduction. 
 
¶23.  (U) U.S. defense acquisition and sales interests in 
France are significant and include (by service): for the 
Air Force, C-130J, KC-130J, C-17 sales and French AWACS 
upgrade; for the Army and USMC, Sophie, 120mm rifled 
mortars, Active Protection System armor for ground 
vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles; for the Navy, ALRE 
sale, unmanned submerged/underwater vehicles, and maritime 
domain awareness, and network-centric enabled operations. 
All services are focused on any technology that can assist 
in the efforts of the IED Task Force. 
 
¶24.  (U) Privatization of the defense sector has continued, 
albeit at a slow pace.  Although the GoF still maintains 
so-called "golden shares" in several firms, globalization 
has eroded their total control in this arena.  For example, 
the recently privatized shipbuilding firm DCN has again 
partnered with Thales in planning the second French 
aircraft carrier, and was recently awarded a contract by 
the French Navy for total lifetime maintenance support for 
their fleet warships and major combat systems. 
 
¶25.  (U) The anticipated absorption of OCCAR (the 
Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation) into the 
European Defense Agency has stalled, although OCCAR did 
play a role in guiding the French and Italian defense 
ministries to select the General Electric engines for the 
European Multi-Mission Frigate (FREMM) in late 2005. 
 
¶26.  (U) The EU's European Capabilities Action Plan (ECAP) 
goal is to coordinate financing processes and to get 
European defense industry involved in identifying and 
filling gaps.  There is also a recent effort to engage 
university research labs through funding made available 
from private industries.  Further privatization and 
increased competitiveness of the French defense sector 
should support these trends. 
 
¶27.  (U) Tangential but significant issues to defense 
cooperation include continued pursuit of a Declaration of 
Principles (DoP) on armaments and end-use controls required 
by the U.S. on jointly produced systems, which prevent 
French sales to third parties without USG approval (viewed 
with concern by French government and private industry 
alike though France requires similar guarantees from their 
customers for French products).  On the other hand, U.S. 
Presidential intervention in rejecting the so-called "buy 
American" provisions in the recent U.S. defense bill was 
well received. 
¶28.  (U) Recent overtures on the part of both the U.S. and 
French governments have led to an increase in official 
bilateral defense discussions and activity.  The impending 
change of government in 2007 will have a significant impact 
on whether or not this trend continues.  While France's 
2005 vote against the EU referendum was seen as a setback 
to both the French government and to the EU's future, its 
full effect remains to be seen.  As noted above, there are 
signs of consolidation of efforts among EU institutions, 
specifically in the defense arena.  Economic realities and 
collective resolve should eventually determine whether 
these trends continue. 
 
 
The Future of French Defense Spending 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶29.  (U) Future French Defense budgets must conform to a 
new inter-governmental finance law known by the acronym 
LOLF (Organic Law of the Finance Law).  In this new 
framework, the funding made available to the Ministry of 
Defense abandons the traditional budget distributions by 
'Titles' and instead is presented as 'missions and 
programs'.  The most significant of these is the mission to 
'Put into action the National Defense Policy'.  Two of its 
supporting programs are 'Prepare the Force' and 'Equip the 
Force'.  In all, the Defense Ministry budget will be 
organized around four missions and nine supporting 
programs.  In an effort to improve the coherence of the 
defense budget, the LOLF ties budgetary allocations to 
performance.  Also, for the first budget cycle under this 
new system, the Chiefs of Staff of the services have less 
influence on service budgets. Their role is now to assure 
the coherence of the budget rather than the direction of 
it.  In a May 21, 2005 Presidential decree, the Chiefs of 
the Armed Services are now subordinate to the Chief of 
Defense (CHOD).  The CHOD now controls all budgets and 
procurement financing.  Service budgets now must pass 
through the CHOD before they go to the Minister's office 
for approval. (For more information on defense spending and 
the LOLF see paragraphs 111-113.) 
 
¶30.  (U) The 2006 defense budget represents a 2.2% increase 
over the 2005 fiscal year.  In spite of the Defense 
Minister's ability to protect the defense budget from cuts, 
there continue to be difficulties for the French military 
in the future.  These difficulties stem primarily from 
three areas:  first, the inflationary pressures of the 
price of energy; second, cost overruns/delays in 
procurement; and third, increased maintenance costs.  Most 
of the planning for the current five-year budget requests 
was predicated on the cost of a barrel of oil at half the 
current price.  This increase will translate into fewer 
flying hours, fewer training days, and fewer days at sea in 
the next few years.  Procurement of several current 
military systems is behind the original schedule or 
experiencing technical problems.  These delays include the 
Tigre helicopter, Rafale fighter aircraft, A-400M transport 
aircraft, and the new command ship (BPC).  The final 
expense increase will be the result of maintaining the 
older systems in the French military until sufficient 
numbers can replace them. 
 
 
Transforming Military Capabilities 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶31.  (U) In spite of not being part of the integrated 
military command structure of NATO, in January, 2004 France 
received two general officer billets within the command: 
one at Atlantic Command Operations (SHAPE) and one at 
Atlantic Command Transformation (Norfolk).  The French have 
assigned 110 military personnel to the two headquarters, 
representing 2.04% of overall NATO staff posts.  The French 
have also agreed to increase their contribution to Alliance 
military budgets from 4.9% to 7.4%.  Nonetheless, despite 
disclaimers to the contrary, the French have given mixed 
signals over the past two years on their vision of the 
future NATO.  These views have ranged from a desire for 
closer integration with NATO to generally limiting the 
scope of NATO's operations or in favor of an EU defense 
force. 
¶32.  (U) France has been a leading proponent to advance a 
"battle-group" concept to create rotational 1500-man size 
forces for use in Chapter VII mandates by the European 
Union.  Based on the EU Operation ARTEMIS model (the French 
led deployment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 
2003) the force would be capable of responding to a crisis 
within 15 days and be sustainable for 30 days minimum, 120 
days maximum.  Full operational capability is scheduled for 
¶2007.  The French insist that these battle groups would be 
compatible with NATO NRF rotations, with either taking the 
lead on the basis of a mutually-agreed decision.  Africa 
has been mentioned as a primary venue for the battle- 
groups. 
 
¶33.  (U) The French Army is investing in UAVs, the Improved 
Infantry Armored Vehicle (VBCI), advanced communications 
equipment, counter-fire radars, and lighter equipment for 
armored units.  They are beginning the process of 
digitization of the Army's battlefield systems and 
purchasing an individual soldier system - the Felin, the 
French Army's equivalent to the U.S. Army's Land Warrior 
system.  These initiatives will enhance French abilities to 
interoperate with US forces and systems. 
 
¶34.  (U) The French Navy has stood up and qualified the HRF 
(M) headquarters staff, the naval component headquarters of 
France's NRF, in Toulon in 2004 and 2005.  This force will 
deploy to the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean in 2006. 
Additionally, the Admiral, Naval Action Force (ALFAN) in 
Toulon has continued to develop over 2004 and 2005.  This 
command is now roughly equivalent to the U.S. Fleet Forces 
Command and has responsibilities for training, certifying, 
and equipping French naval forces.  In an effort to improve 
intelligence support to the French Navy, the French stood 
up a French intelligence command called Centre de 
Renseignment Martime (CRMar). 
 
¶35.  (U) In the context of trying to become more efficient 
and capable of joint and international operations, the 
French Air Force is in the process of a major 
reorganization.  In November 2003, a project team of senior 
staff officers, outgoing base commanders and civilian 
consultants was created and given the mission to develop a 
plan to create a better Air Force. The project team started 
its work in September 2004 and unveiled the plan in October 
¶2005.  The ideas will be progressively implemented 
beginning in 2006.  This ambitious reorganization project, 
named Air 2010, aims in particular at removing duplication 
and creating synergy.  It will serve to optimize the air 
base network while preserving existing capabilities. In 
summary, the Air Force will replace the twelve current 
commands with four large functional 'poles.'  The 
Operations Pole will be in charge of current operations in 
France and abroad.  The Forces pole will be charged with 
leading the preparation and training of the whole of the 
combat forces. The Support Pole will bring together within 
the same staff all the maintenance, logistics, and life 
support.  The Personnel Pole will join together all the 
personnel training and staff management functions. 
 
¶36.  (U) The French military is actively exploring ways to 
increase interoperability with the U.S. with respect to the 
global information grid and uses of information on the 
modern battlefield.  As of late 2005, the French MOD has 
directed increased contact between French military 
officials and U.S. military officials in an effort to 
ensure the French capability to interoperate with the U.S. 
is maintained and improved.  This French initiative is 
aimed at keeping up with the U.S. lead in information 
technology, particularly targeting data and friendly force 
tracking.  The French desperately want to preserve the 
ability to conduct combat operations with the U.S. in every 
domain  air, land, and sea. 
 
 
 
Recent Contingency Operations, Military Assistance, 
Humanitarian Relief Operations, Peacekeeping, Capacity 
Building, Counterproliferation and Nuclear Threat 
Reduction. 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶37.  (U) The French continue to show their support for 
operations in Afghanistan.  In 2006, they are planning to 
augment their forces to support the increased 
responsibilities of the Kabul regional command in addition 
to the military assets already in place in support of ISAF 
and OEF (see paragraphs 53-56 for more detail). 
Furthermore, the French continue to be actively involved in 
the fight against terrorism through the OEF Task Force 150 
and in the US Counter-Drug effort (see paragraphs 59-60 for 
more detail.) 
¶38.  (U) The French Army has been training the Afghan 
National Army within the overall U.S.-led program since its 
inception and the French have consistently expressed a 
desire to be part of NATO's transformation and 
interoperability initiatives as evidenced by their 
significant national contributions to the NATO Response 
Force (NRF) (see paragraphs 66-67 for more detail). 
 
¶39.  (U) In the Balkans, French forces remain among the 
largest contributors to operations in Kosovo and French 
participation in the former NATO SFOR mission in Bosnia 
continued under the EU Force, Operation Althea.  The French 
continue to maintain a small French military presence in 
Macedonia.  They also provide a small presence force in 
Georgia. (See paragraphs 70-71 for more detail). 
 
¶40.  (U) In Africa, France has provided 80 million euros to 
Darfur through the African Union and provides support to 
Chad on a bilateral basis.  The French transported the 
Senegalese units of the AU force to Sudan and the Nigerian 
police contingent. (See paragraph 72 for more detail). 
 
¶41.  (U) In response to natural disasters in 2004 and 2005 
France contributed substantially to Pakistan Earthquake 
relief efforts, the South Asian Tsunami relief efforts, and 
relief efforts after hurricane Katrina hit the southern 
United States. (See paragraphs 73-81 for more detail). 
 
¶42.  (U) The major part of France's efforts at capacity 
building in the world is focused on Africa where France 
relies on its forces stationed in seven nations to conduct 
most of its capacity building operations (see paragraphs 
82-85 for more detail).  Also, 4000 French troops stand 
alongside UNOCI in Operation Licorne in Cote d'Ivoire in 
support of the UN operation, in addition to the French 
permanent base in Abidjan. 
 
¶43.  (U) French Gendarmerie has taken the lead in the 
development of the European Gendarmerie Force.  French 
Gendarmes are also deployed in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Haiti 
(MINUSTAH), Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), the Democratic Republic 
of the Congo, Chad, and the Central Africa Republic.  They 
also conducted training in Kinshasa, Kenya (see paragraphs 
86-89 for more detail). 
 
¶44.  (U) In the summer of 2004, the French also began a 
joint fighter pilot training school in Cazeaux, France (see 
paragraph 90 for more detail). 
 
¶45.  (U) As a nuclear state, France endorses deterrence 
theory and holds to long-standing NATO doctrines.  It has 
consistently supported international arms control regimes 
as a means of bolstering stability and transparency.  In 
addition to its continued support for international 
mechanisms to limit proliferation, France with their 
British and German colleagues pursued EU3 negotiations to 
obtain Iranian compliance with Iran's Safeguard Agreement 
commitments.  EU3 efforts led to the signing of the Paris 
Agreement in November 2004.  Iranian resumption of 
conversion in August 2005, and research on enrichment in 
December 2005, led to suspension of Paris Agreement 
discussions.  France and its EU partners, with U.S. 
support, continue to pursue efforts to convince Iran to 
suspend its nuclear ambitions. (See paragraphs 91-93 for 
more detail). 
 
¶46.  (U) The French military continues to maintain strong 
contacts with the U.S. and other NATO countries for 
contingency planning.  During 2004 and 2005, France 
conducted planning and exchanges with EUCOM and CENTCOM. 
French and U.S. analysts and planners share information on 
terrorism and WMD proliferation as well as political- 
military developments.  From the beginning of operations in 
Afghanistan (both OEF and ISAF), and the Lebanon crisis, 
French and U.S. planners have continued to work together to 
produce effective, timely results.  French forces 
permanently or temporarily stationed in Africa and Central 
Asia have assisted U.S. operations in the EUCOM and CENTCOM 
theater of operations. 
 
 
-------------------------------------- 
-------------------------------------- 
REF A PARAS 9-10:  DIRECT COST-SHARING 
-------------------------------------- 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶47.  (U) No direct cost sharing activities occur in France 
 
 
 
------------------------------------- 
------------------------------------- 
REF A PARA 11:  INDIRECT COST SHARING 
------------------------------------- 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶48.  (U) No indirect cost-sharing activities as described 
in Ref A paragraph 11 occur in France.  However the U.S. 
did receive several types of miscellaneous indirect cost- 
sharing benefits from France as described below. 
 
 
Overflight Clearances, Port Access, Use of French 
Facilities 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶49.  (U) In 2004, France granted overflight and landing 
clearances to 1842 USG missions.  977 of these missions 
were in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  76 of these 
missions supported operations in the Balkans.  During 2005, 
France granted 2061 overflight and landing clearances to 
USG missions.  811 of these missions supported OIF while 68 
supported Balkan operations.  France continued to grant 
blanket overflight clearances to most USG missions allowing 
over flights of and landings in France without notice. 
 
¶50.  (U) The 744 Expeditionary Air Base Group operated 
three KC-135 tanker aircraft from Istres Airbase in 
southern France during most of 2004.  This group of 100 US 
military personnel flew air refueling missions supporting 
operations in the Balkans.  The French provided fuel tax- 
free.  The mission ended in December 2004. 
 
¶51.  (U) Tax concessions on fuel and landing fees for non- 
operational missions during 2004 totaled approximately 4000 
dollars.  During 2005 these concessions totaled 8450 
dollars. 
 
¶52.  (U) During 2004 the US Navy made 14 port calls to 
facilities in metropolitan France.  In 2005 the number of 
port calls was 29.  In all cases, the French Navy provided 
excellent support and force protection services without 
cost.  Additionally, no taxes were imposed for supplies or 
parts for US ships visiting French ports. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
REF A PARA 12 RECENT CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS, MILITARY 
ASSISTANCE, HUMANITARIAN RELIEF OPERATIONS, CAPACITY 
BUILDING, COUNTERPROLIFERATION, AND NUCLEAR THREAT 
REDUCTION 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
Subparagraph A:  Recent Contingency operations (See French 
Force Disposition and External Operations Table for 
personnel numbers) 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
¶53.  (U) The French were among the first nations to 
volunteer troops to the International Security Assistance 
Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan and France continues to 
be responsible for Kabul International Airport and the area 
north of Kabul to the U.S. base at Bagram.  A French 
battalion has been a part of ISAF since December 2001. 
From August 2004 to February 2005, a French general 
commanded the NATO-led ISAF.  France has proposed an 
increased role in ISAF and offered to lead Regional 
CommandKabul as part of the NATO reorganization and 
expansion of ISAF.  In October 2005, France and Turkey 
announced that they would co-lead Regional Command-Kabul. 
The French are planning to augment their forces from the 
current 700 in ISAF to between 1,000  1,200 personnel to 
support the increased responsibilities of the regional 
command to include providing a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) 
battalion.  The French have continued to provide a military 
police detachment in support of ISAF. 
 
¶54.  (U) Supporting OEF, the French Armed Forces continue 
to be actively involved in the fight against terrorism. 
200 members of the French Special Forces are currently 
deployed in the South of Afghanistan alongside U.S. Special 
Forces in military operations against the Taliban. 
 
¶55.  (U) France assigned liaison officers to the U.S. staff 
headquarters in Tampa to ensure the interface between the 
military authorities of the two countries.  French forces 
were directly involved in the fight against terrorism by 
y 
carrying out the following missions: 
 
¶56.  (U) The air and sea group took part in air operations 
above Afghanistan in April-May 2004 (84 aircrafts were 
involved in operational missions for 450 flight hours). 
The French Air Force deployed within less than 48 hours six 
Mirage 2000D and two refueling aircraft from metropolitan 
France to the deployable airbase in Manas (Kyrgyzstan) 
which played a key role in the prosecution of air 
campaigns. 
 
¶57.  (U) In addition, two C160 airplanes with 130 soldiers 
of the Air Force have been operating in Dushanbe 
(Tajikistan) since December 3, 2001, totaling 10,000 flight 
hours. This detachment is focused on airlifting the French 
Forces operating in different areas in Afghanistan. 
 
¶58.  (U) In October 2004, three Mirage F1CR and one tanker 
C135FR were deployed in Dushanbe to carry out tactical 
reconnaissance missions for ISAF and the coalition against 
terrorism.  To help promote the development of democracy in 
Afghanistan in close collaboration with its allies, the 
French Air Force again deployed an air detachment in 
Dushanbe, from August through November 2005 during the 
parliamentary elections.  Within ISAF, the detachment, 
which includes three Mirage F1CR, three Mirage 2000D and 
two tankers C135FR based in Manas, was intended to 
establish an air presence throughout the country and 
support ground forces operations to deter any action likely 
to disrupt the elections.  It was also entrusted with the 
mission to undertake reconnaissance and fire support 
operations supporting OEF. 
 
¶59.  Finally, the French military participates in the fight 
against terrorism within the OEF Task Force 150 (TF 150). 
The Task Force is actively involved in the following 
operations: 
- monitoring air and sea movements in the Red Sea, the Sea 
of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf, 
- prohibiting the filtration of terrorists to the Arabian 
Peninsula or the Horn of Africa, 
- fighting against illegal trafficking (weapons, drugs 
etc.), 
- fighting against piracy and banditry acts. 
 
¶60.  (U) Since February 2003, a EUROMARFOR task group is 
part of the TF 150 and operates under the command of the 
U.S. staff.  The French Navy greatly contributes to the TF 
150 (about a quarter of the Task Force) with three ships 
operating on a permanent basis. France took command of TF 
150 twice from September 2003 to January 2004 and from June 
to September 2004. 
¶61.  (U) An aircraft based in Djibouti, which was 
incorporated into the Task Force 57 (TF 57), is intended to 
patrol in coordination with the TF 150 ships.  The 62 
French ships involved in Operation Enduring Freedom since 
15 December 2001 totaled more than 6,000 days at sea. 
 
¶62.  (U) The French Navy's strong participation in CTF-150, 
both by continuously providing ships and often providing a 
command staff in the Indian Ocean, particularly off of 
Somalia and the Gulf of Oman, and the presence of French 
Navy liaison personnel at NAVCENT Headquarters in Bahrain 
makes possible a good degree of interaction and cooperation 
in this key region.  The French also maintain maritime 
patrol aircraft worldwide and cooperate with the U.S. Navy 
where there is common interest. 
 
¶63.  (U) The French also participate in the US Counter-Drug 
effort with Naval Forces.  A French military officer is 
assigned to the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF 
South) in Key West, to ensure coordination with French 
forces in the Caribbean.  Fort-de-France in Martinique 
supports U.S. Navy and Coast Guard units with port visits 
and the Navy Command in Fort-de-France has assisted the 
U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard with the movement of 
personnel and weapons between various ships and aircraft. 
The direct participation of the French Navy in counter-drug 
operations consists of the deployment of frigates to the 
region to work with U.S. forces on a regular basis and the 
use of Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployed to the region. 
 
¶64.  (U) In 2004, the French Navy stopped three drug 
trafficking ships in the Antilles and one Togolese ship in 
the Gulf of Guinea with 450 kg of cocaine.  The counter 
drug effort of the French Navy in 2004 was 199 days at sea, 
156 hours of flight, 2058 ships queried, four ships 
intercepted, and 1020 kg of drugs ceased. 
 
¶65.  (U) In 2004, the French Navy effort against 
clandestine immigration equaled 683 days at sea, 904 flight 
hours, three ships intercepted, 43 clandestine immigrants 
turned over to border police. 
 
 
------------------------------------- 
Subparagraph B.  Military Assistance: 
NRF/NTMI/Afghanistan/NATO PKO. 
---------- -------------------------- 
 
¶66.  (U) The French Army has been training the Afghan 
National Army within the overall U.S.-led program since its 
inception.  Since 2002, the French have trained more than 
2,000 Afghans.  This includes three of the initial 
battalions; they have set-up the officer basic course and 
the staff officer's course.  The French are currently 
participating in the Embedded Training Team concept with 
French Army soldiers assigned to mentor an Afghan battalion 
in Kandahar. 
 
¶67.  (U) The French have consistently expressed a desire to 
be part of NATO's transformation and interoperability 
initiatives as evidenced by their significant national 
contributions to the NATO Response Force (NRF).  By 
participating in NRFs 1 through 6, the total French 
military contribution equals up to 40 percent of ground 
units, 30 percent of air assets, and 20 percent of naval 
capabilities.  The French air force provides the deployable 
combined air operations center (CAOC) for the European led 
NRF.  In January 2005, the French air force conducted AIREX 
2005, a training exercise, to prepare for command of NRF-05 
in July. On July 1st, the French air force became the Joint 
Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) of NRF-05 for six 
months.  In 2004, NATO sent the NRF's Land Component 
Command Headquarters, the French led EUROCORPS, to lead the 
ISAF in Afghanistan.  As part of NRF 5, NATO activated 
France's Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) to 
coordinate the air movements for the Pakistan earthquake 
relief effort.  On 1 October 2005, the French formally 
created a multinational headquarters to serve as the Land 
Component Command for future rotations of the NRF. 
 
¶68.  (U) In 2005, the French also established a Maritime 
Component Command HQ to serve in future iterations of 
NATO's NRF.  The French Navy successfully stood-up the 
High-Readiness Force  Maritime (HRF-M) staff in Toulon and 
qualified the staff during an at-sea exercise in 2005. 
This staff, will serve its rotational duties as an on-call 
force, ahead of schedule, and is being used by the French 
for out-of-area operations, for example, during the 
upcoming Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean deployment of the Charles 
de Gaulle Carrier Battle Group in early 2006.  There is one 
U.S. Naval Officer assigned to the HRF-M staff. 
 
¶69.  (U) The French government has forbidden its military 
from contributing troops to the NATO training mission 
inside Iraq (NTM-1).  One French officer is working on the 
training mission staff at SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium, 
and the GoF pledged 660,000 euros in February 2005 to help 
finance NTM-1.  In 2005, the GoF took initial steps to 
contribute to the development of Iraqi defense and security 
capabilities.  Under the European Union's EUJUSTLEX 
program, France has pledged to train 200 Iraqi police 
officials and judges in rule of law training in France, 
making France the top EU contributor to this program. 
Approximately 40 Iraqi police officials (non-military) 
completed month-long training at the Ecole Nationale 
Superieure des Officiers de Police and the Ecole Nationale 
de Police in 2005.  A third course started at the end of 
2005 for judicial instruction at the Ecole Nationale de la 
Magistrature.  At the same time, a French offer to train up 
to 1,500 Iraqi paramilitary police (gendarmes) outside Iraq 
remains unimplemented, although an Iraqi Ministry of 
Interior delegation visited France in July 2005 to further 
discuss the proposal.  Currently there is a single Gendarme 
Officer in Iraq, responsible for provision of security for 
French embassy staff in Baghdad. 
 
¶70.  (U) In the Balkans, French forces remain among the 
largest contributors to operations in Kosovo.  French 
participation in the former NATO SFOR mission in Bosnia 
continued under the EU Force, Operation Althea.  210 
Gendarmes supported both the United Nations Interim mission 
in Kosovo and the NATO Intervention Forces in Kosovo. 
French Lieutenant General de Kermabon transferred authority 
as COMKFOR on 1 September 2005 after one year of command, 
the second time France has commanded KFOR.  The French 
government provided approximately 60 gendarmes, including 
20 officers to help combat organized crime under the Office 
of the High Representative in Bosnia-Hersegovina. 
Additionally, they provided European Union Police and 
military police in support of European Union Forces in 
Bosnia. 
 
¶71.  (U) The French continue to maintain a small French 
military presence (15 personnel) in Macedonia providing 
international police in support of the European Police 
Mission.  They also provide a small presence force (three 
military observers) in Georgia to help support the U.N. 
monitoring mission. 
 
¶72.  (U) Regarding peacekeeping efforts in Africa, there 
has been ongoing debate as to NATO's role in Africa.  This 
debate was most evident during the 2005 crisis in Darfur 
with France focusing its support for the AU through the EU. 
France, however, honored its pledge to SECSTATE that it 
would not oppose a NATO role in the crisis.  France has 
provided 80 million euros to Darfur through the African 
Union and provides support to Chad on a bilateral basis. 
French troops and aircraft are conducting ground and air 
border security.  During 2005, France provided refueling 
support to NATO and EU aircraft at Abech in Eastern Chad, 
as well as personnel recovery capabilities using three C- 
160 transport aircraft and three Puma helicopters.  The 
French transported the Senegalese units of the AU force to 
Sudan and the Nigerian police contingent. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Subpara C:  Humanitarian Relief Operations 
NATOHMRO/Pakistan/Katrina/Tsunami 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶73.  (U) In 2003, France allotted 9.3 million euros (USD 
11.2 million) to what it termed Emergency Humanitarian 
Assistance, all of which was channeled through the 
Emergency Humanitarian Aid Fund of the MFA.  In 2004, the 
initial allotment was 9.3 million euros (USD 11.2 million). 
The fund may be increased on an extraordinary basis to 
finance unexpected operations; this was the case in 2005, 
when France announced an emergency increased allotment of 
2.8 million euros (USD 3.4 million) in favor of the victims 
of natural disasters or civil crises, primarily focused on 
the victims of the tsunami in Thailand, Sri Lanka, 
Maldives, Indonesia, and India, and an additional 
allocation of 5.6 million euros (USD 6.7 million) for the 
victims of the earthquake in Pakistan (see paragraphs 
below).  The additional aid is imputed into the 2005 
balance sheet bringing the total amount of emergency 
donations to 16,147,081 million euros.  Allotments in 2006 
are projected to increase to benefit victims of 2005's 
Hurricane Katrina in the United States.  For an economic 
analysis of general Grant Aid and Humanitarian Assistance 
see paragraphs 117-221. 
 
¶74.  (U) Pakistan Relief.  The French contributed 82 
military personnel to the Pakistan relief effort.  In 
addition, the French air force deployed two C-130 Hercules 
military transport aircraft to deliver relief supplies. The 
effort included medical service personnel, a surgical team, 
and support personnel (communications, equipment, and 
logistics) in Pakistan.  Forty-six of the military 
personnel were inserted into the various NATO elements in 
Islamabad, Lisbon, Germany, and Turkey.  Additionally, as 
part of NRF 5, NATO activated France's JFACC to coordinate 
the air movement piece of the relief effort.  The JFACC at 
Taverney, near Paris has 23 French, five UK, and one U.S. 
officer assigned. 
 
¶75.  (U) KATRINA Relief.  The NRF was activated in 
September 2005 after hurricane Katrina.  At the same time, 
France used its Joint Forces Air Component (JFACC) to task 
the French Air Force to collect and deliver the 150 tons of 
European supplies for Louisiana.  This support was 
delivered to Ramstein airbase, Germany.  The French air 
force also provided two transport aircraft to move over 
four tons of supplies, including tents, tarps, and 1000 
rations, to the US from the Caribbean.  Along with these 
supplies, the French provided a team of four civil security 
personnel to help assess future U.S. needs and distribute 
assistance.  Two French liaison officers were posted to the 
Joint Forces Commander in Lisbon to help coordinate all 
European assistance.  An Airbus Beluga aircraft also 
delivered 12.7 tons of emergency equipment to Mobile, 
Alabama; 
 
¶76.  (U) The French Navy deployed a team of 17 Navy divers 
to assist with the Katrina disaster.  This was facilitated 
by the fact that the French maintain a liaison officer with 
the U.S. Mine Warfare Command in Corpus Christi, Texas. 
The 17 French divers worked from September 11, 2005 to 
October 8, 2005 helping to clear waterways of debris and 
recover vessels. 
 
¶77.  (U) The GOF also offered the following contributions 
to assist with Katrina disaster recovery: 
--The "Gendarmerie nationale" offered experts in forensic 
police; 
--The GOF (with Airbus) offered to send an additional 20- 
30,000 food rations. 
 
¶78.  (U) Tsunami Relief.  The French Navy worked with U.S. 
forces and other willing partners following the December 
26, 2004 Tsunami in South East Asia.  In response to this 
disaster, the French Navy re-routed its helicopter carrier, 
Jeanne D'Arc, and, after picking up extra emergency 
supplies from the French base in Djibouti, sent the units 
into the disaster region.  By February 1, there were 1,390 
French Military personnel assisting in the disaster area, 
most aboard the three ships involved.  The French 
Helicopter Carrier, Jeanne D'Arc, and the Destroyer George 
Leygues DD-644 deployed to Indonesia on January 4 until 
February 9 while the Destroyer Dupleix DD-641 deployed to 
the Maldives from January 5 until February 1, 2005.  The 
Jeanne D'Arc supplemented the normal on-board complement of 
helicopters with an additional two heavy-lift helicopters. 
Embarked were 12 medical doctors and support personnel. 
 
¶79.  (U) There was one French Maritime Patrol Aircraft 
deployed to Thailand from January 1, 2005 that worked in 
cooperation with the U.S. Navy P-3 aircraft.  One 
additional French Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployed to Sri 
Lanka from December 30, 2004 to January 1, 2005. 
 
¶80.  (U) In support of the tsunami relief in South-East 
Asia, the French Gendarmerie provided several investigators 
to assist in the identification of victims. 
 
¶81.  (U) Other humanitarian efforts.  In 2004, during the 
annual Jeanne D'Arc training cruise 9000 vaccinations were 
given, 519 tons of humanitarian supplies were delivered. 
During a deployment of the Dupleix, 180 tons of 
humanitarian supplies were delivered. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Subparagraph D.  Capacity Building:  Strengthening 
Governance in the World. 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶82.  (U) The major part of France's efforts at capacity 
building in the world is focused on Africa.  France relies 
on its forces stationed in seven nations to conduct most of 
its capacity building operations.  These include Cameroon, 
Togo, the Central African Republic, the Gulf of Guinea, 
Haiti, and Cote d'Ivoire.  Additionally, France uses 
forward presence forces; those stationed through bilateral 
defense agreements, for capacity building operations. 
Foreign presence forces are in Gabon, Djibouti, Senegal, 
the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.  The table on 
French Force Disposition and Exterior Operations presents 
the detailed numbers of personnel in each location and the 
additional expenditures of each operation.  In total, these 
capacity building measures cost France 650 million Euros in 
2004 (approximately USD 790 million). 
 
¶83.  (U) The RECAMP (Reinforcing the Capabilities of 
Africans to Maintain Peace) program remains France's 
flagship strategy for defense and military cooperation in 
Africa.  The goal of RECAMP is to support an autonomous 
African security capability.  It is also a multinational 
program to support the stability of Africa.  RECAMP is 
based on three pillars: cooperation, training, and support 
of African operational engagements.  To support operations, 
France provides African forces with the materials and 
equipment necessary to deploy from three French battalion- 
size RECAMP depots.  These depots are located in Dakar, 
Libreville, and Djibouti.  France has offered to make these 
depots available for USG use.  The French Military 
Cooperation Directorate has a 100 million Euro annual 
budget and manages a network of 220 French military 
personnel located at African military schools and training 
centers. 
 
¶84.  (U) In the last cycle for RECAMP IV in West Africa 
(Benin) in 2004 -2005, there were 14 African and 16 non- 
African participating states, including the United States. 
France seeks the participation of all African states in 
RECAMP and solicits participation bilaterally and through 
the African Union and sub-regional organizations.  France 
also seeks multinational participation in the form of donor 
states and an increasing role of the European Union (EU). 
The program's present orientation focuses at the strategic- 
level and seeks to prepare the African sub-regional 
organizations and eventually the African Standby Forces 
(ASF) for peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and 
disaster relief operations. 
 
¶85.  (U) Additional Capacity Building Examples:  During 
2005 in Chad, more than 300 French air force aviators 
conducted security and reconnaissance missions within the 
framework of the humanitarian operation Darfur. 
 
¶86.  (U) French Gendarmerie has taken the lead in the 
development of the European Gendarmerie Force.  The initial 
commander of the force in the development of the 
headquarters is a French Gendarme General and the first 
headquarters exercise was conducted in France.  The 
Gendarmerie has been consistently been asked to provide 
general and specialized training to other Gendarme forces 
or police forces throughout the world and particularly in 
the middle east and Africa.  In fact, one French military 
police detachment is deployed in support of the United 
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) 
¶87.  (U) In Haiti, 40 Gendarme personnel supported the 
Multinational Stabilization Force  (MINUSTAH) as part of 
the 1,000-man contingent of French personnel. 
88  (U) Over 150 Gendarme personnel provided international 
police support for the United Nations Mission to Cote 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
PROG 02/02/06 
DCM:KHOFMANN 
POL:LORDEMAN 
POLM/C:JROSENBLATT, POL:GRECINOS, DATT:MGUILLOT, 
ECON:KMERTEN, ECON:OVANMAERSSEN 
 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
SECSTATE WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
SECSTATE WASHDC 
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USNMR SHAPE BE 
USMISSION GENEVA 
USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 
 
STATE FOR PM/SNA, EUR/WE; OSD FOR OSD/PA&E, OASD/ISA/EUR, 
OASD/ISA/NP, OASD/ISA/AP, OASD/ISA/NESA AND OASD/ISA/BTF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR MCAP MARR MCAP MARR MCAP FR FR PREL FR PREL
SUBJECT: EMBASSY PARIS SUBMISSION TO THE 2005/2006 REPORT 
TO CONGRESS ON ALLIED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMON DEFENSE 
 
REF: A. STATE 223383 
     ¶B. PARIS 000005 
 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Not for 
Internet dissemination. 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  This telegram constitutes Embassy Paris's 
country submission for the 2005/2006 Report to Congress on 
Allied Contributions to the Common Defense (requested Ref 
A).  We report on developments that took place during 
calendar years 2004 and 2005 and offer cost sharing 
information for U.S. fiscal years 2004 and 2005.  Embassy's 
contributions to the Report to Congress are keyed to 
paragraphs in Ref A where specific information is 
requested.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------- 
--------------------------------- 
Ref A Para 8:  General Assessment 
--------------------------------- 
--------------------------------- 
 
Overview 
-------- 
¶2.  (U) France bears a significant share of the burden of 
defending international security and stability.  It is 
firmly committed to conflict resolution, non- and 
counterproliferation, as well as to maintaining adequate 
conventional and nuclear capabilities.  Only a few nations 
have the military capability to project power to a distant 
theater and sustain operations.  France is one of these 
nations.  It has the military personnel, equipment, and 
command capabilities as well as the will to employ them 
throughout the world.  It is this total operational 
capability, and the resolve to act on the international 
stage, which allows the French military to participate and 
lead in an international framework, including through the 
European Union and NATO.  Africa comprises the heaviest 
French military commitment abroad.  However, France is also 
a significant contributor to international military 
operations in Central--Southwest Asia and the Balkans.  By 
helping to stabilize sensitive areas in Central Asia, the 
Balkans, or in Sub-Saharan Africa, overseas operations led 
by the French Armed Forces have helped to prevent those 
areas from becoming safe-havens for terrorist activity. 
Throughout 2004 and 2005, France has been a major 
contributor in the fight against terrorism as part of the 
international coalition in Afghanistan.  As such, France 
volunteered to participate under the command of the United 
States in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).  Moreover, 
security, stabilization and training operations led by the 
French Armed Forces within the International Security 
Assistance Force (ISAF) is helping Afghanistan in its 
transition from a terrorist sanctuary to a growing 
democracy. 
 
¶3.  (U) France maintains the largest active duty military 
force in the European Union and the second largest active 
duty military force in NATO, with an active force of 
approximately 355,000.  Furthermore, France sustains a 
large percentage of this active duty force deployed in 
operations in overseas French territories or in sovereign 
territories around the world.  The average number of 
deployed forces outside of France was 35,000 in 2004, and 
32,500 in 2005.  Over 13,500 of those deployed are actively 
engaged in international mandates supporting counter- 
terrorist operations, humanitarian operations, peacekeeping 
operations, stability operations, and capacity building. 
To support this level of external international mandate 
operations, France spends approximately USD 790 million per 
year from a defense budget of 52 billion dollars. 
 
 
France's Global Reach: Peace Support Operations Worldwide 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶4.  (U) France eagerly participates in international peace 
support operations and is a leading force contributor to 
stabilization operations in the Balkans and in Africa.  In 
Cote d'Ivoire, France's most significant overseas 
operation, French troops enforce a tenuous cease-fire and 
are providing the backbone to the United Nations operation 
as a quick reaction force.  French troops have been 
actively engaged since the summer of 2004 in preventing the 
Darfur crisis from expanding into Chad.  In the Balkans, 
French troops are present in every military mission across 
Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia: SFOR/EUFOR, KFOR, UNMIBH, 
UNMIK, EUMM, and ALTHEA. During "Operation Secure 
Tomorrow," to stabilize Haiti, France deployed the second 
largest contingent alongside the United States. 
Contributing troops under international mandate is a point 
of principle in Paris.  The UN, where France has a veto as 
a permanent member of the Security Council, is its 
preferred forum for crisis resolution.  France has 
observers currently participating in UN missions in the 
Balkans, Georgia, Lebanon, Israel, Ethiopia/Eritrea, 
Burundi, DROC, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Western Sahara, and 
Haiti.  It also participates in the multinational force in 
the Sinai. 
 
 
France and the War in Iraq 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) The French government has forbidden its military 
from contributing troops to the NATO training mission 
inside Iraq (NTM-1).  One French officer is working on the 
training mission staff at SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium, 
and the GoF pledged 660,000 euros in February 2005 to help 
finance NTM-1.  In 2005, the GoF took initial steps to 
contribute to the development of Iraqi defense and security 
capabilities.  Under the European Union's EUJUSTLEX 
program, France has pledged to train 200 Iraqi police 
officials and judges in rule of law training in France, 
making France the top EU contributor to this program. 
Approximately 40 Iraqi police officials (non-military) 
completed month-long training at the Ecole Nationale 
Superieure des Officiers de Police and the Ecole Nationale 
de Police in 2005.  A third course started at the end of 
2005 for judicial instruction at the Ecole Nationale de la 
Magistrature.  At the same time, a French offer to train up 
to 1,500 Iraqi paramilitary police (gendarmes) outside Iraq 
remains unimplemented, although an Iraqi Ministry of 
Interior delegation visited France in July 2005 to further 
discuss the proposal.  Currently there is a single Gendarme 
Officer in Iraq, responsible for provision of security for 
French embassy staff in Baghdad. 
 
 
France and the War on Terrorism 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) France is currently the third-largest contributor 
to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force 
(ISAF) in Afghanistan, and one of the few nations other 
than the U.S. to have had troops engaged in Operation 
Enduring Freedom, ISAF and training programs for the Afghan 
army since these efforts began.  French Mirage-2000 
fighters have flown with USAF fighters to assist American 
and Afghan ground troops.  French deployments to the Horn 
of Africa remain focused on counterterrorism; the French 
assisted in the establishment of USCJTF Horn of Africa, and 
otherwise continue to allow the U.S. to share their base in 
Djibouti in connection with operations in the Indian Ocean, 
Red Sea and Persian Gulf.  France is a part of Task Force 
150, a multinational naval force that patrols the Red Sea 
and the Persian Gulf to interdict the movement of suspected 
terrorists from Afghanistan to the Arabian Peninsula. 
 
¶7.  (U) France participates in Operation Active Endeavor in 
the Eastern Mediterranean.  France is also actively 
involved with the Proliferation Security Initiative.  It is 
also a party to all 12 existing international terrorism 
conventions and is active in the UN and G8 counterterrorism 
committees. 
 
¶8.  (U) In 2005, France continued to discover and dismantle 
terror networks present on its soil, including several that 
recruited jihadists to Iraq.  Following the July 2005 
bombings in London, French officials worked closely with 
their British counterparts.  They also identified a number 
of deficiencies in their counterterrorism capabilities, and 
proposed legislation to remedy these deficiencies.  This 
fast-tracked legislation became law in late January, 2006. 
The French government is also expected to issue in February 
2006 a "white book" on terrorism that will underscore their 
belief that terrorism is a primary strategic threat to 
France, and that dealing with it is consequentially a 
central priority.  France consults extensively with the 
U.S. on terrorism, at the tactical and strategic level. 
 
 
Africa 
------ 
 
¶9.  (U) The French military has shown an increasing 
interest to cooperate with others, particularly with the 
U.S., in Africa.  In the past three years, there have been 
Non-combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) executed in three 
African countries, NEO planning for four other potential 
crises, as well as U.S. and French multilateral programs, 
such as GPOI - ACOTA, RECAMP, and joint financial and 
logistical support for ECOWAS, ECCAS, and the African 
Union.  In the Gulf of Guinea and Trans-Sahel region, 
France has expressed interest in the U.S. effort to improve 
the posture of African countries in the fight against 
terrorism.  Both the U.S. and France continue to broadly 
support capacity building for African militaries.  (See 
paragraphs 12, 32 40, 42-43, 46, 59, 72, 82-86, 89 and 94 
for more on French involvement in Africa.) 
 
 
France, NATO and ESDP 
--------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Despite its singular stance on alliance 
membership (France is not a member of NATO's integrated 
military command), France has continued to demonstrate 
willingness to engage in NATO responses to common 
challenges.  France has been a major contributor to 
operations in the Balkans (SFOR, now EUFOR, and KFOR) and 
in NATO's operations in Afghanistan (International Security 
Assistance Force). In KFOR in Kosovo, French troops are the 
second-largest national contingent, significantly 
outnumbering U.S. units.  In Afghanistan, France has some 
900 troops, which will increase to approximately 1400 in 
August 2006, when France assumes command of the Kabul 
region of ISAF.  During December 2004-August 2005, France 
held the rotating command of ISAF.  France also contributed 
to NATO Humanitarian Relief Operations in Bagh, Pakistan. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The French have consistently expressed their 
support for NATO's transformation, and are contributing 
substantial resources to the NATO Response Force:  the 
French military has identified forces that at initial 
stages will amount to 40 per cent of ground units, 30 per 
cent of air assets, and 20 per cent of naval capabilities, 
and has proposed contributing EUROCORPS to the NRF at a 
later stage.  France has restructured some of its own 
forces with land, air and sea High Readiness Response force 
fully compatible with the NATO Response Force.  It has 
offered headquarter slots in Lille for fellow NATO members. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  Interest in being part of NATO transformation 
has not diminished the deep commitment of the GoF to 
fostering European security and defense arrangements.  Many 
in the GoF envision that transatlantic security relations 
of the future will increasingly include bilateral U.S.-EU 
cooperation. Throughout 2004 and 2005, the French 
vigorously pursued their goal of establishing independent 
European defense structures and supporting increased EU 
missions.  France supported an EU assistance mission to 
Darfur in the Sudan, to support the African Union's 
intervention.  France continues to push its EU partners for 
completion of a separate EU planning headquarters, a small 
but independent EU operational planning unit, as well as an 
EU cell at SHAPE. EU operations may also continue to be 
planned at national headquarters.  Additionally, France has 
been a key player in setting up and funding the European 
Defense procurement agency (EDA), designed to coordinate 
defense procurement among EU allies, and which became 
operational in 2005 with a small staff numbering some 80 
persons and a budget of 20 million euros. 
 
¶13.   (U)  In January 2006, the European gendarmerie force 
was formally inaugurated in Vicenza, Italy.  The concept 
dates back to October 2003, when French Defense Minister 
Michele Alliot-Marie proposed the creation of the European 
gendarmerie consisting of some 800 gendarmes from Spain, 
Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands to take on police 
training and other police functions as part of the EU's 
response to crises. 
 
 
French Training and Participation in Joint Exercises 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶14.  (U) In the European AOR, in cooperation with the US 
Commander Naval Forces Europe, the French Navy participated 
in 3 Non-NATO exercises and 6 NATO exercises in 2004 
including a Proliferation Security Initiative exercise, a 
NATO anti-submarine exercise, a Multi-lateral Livex, PFP 
exercise BALTOPS 04, and a NATO Joint fleet training 
exercise (a major NRF event sponsored by NATO). 
 
¶15.  (U) In 2005, France participated in 6 Non-NATO 
exercises and 13 NATO exercises.  The French Navy 
participated in RECAMP IV, JMC 05-1 and 05-2, a 
multilateral FTX helping qualify the Italian maritime High 
Readiness Force (HRF), two multilateral anti-submarine 
exercises, Trident D'Or (the exercise to qualify the French 
maritime HRF, a LIVEX Mine Warfare Exercise in the North 
Sea, FRUKUS (CPX/FTX with French, Russian, U.S., and U.K. 
navy participation, Sorbet Royale (a LIVEX Submarine Rescue 
Exercise), Bright Star (a multi-national, multi-warfare 
LIVEX executing in Egypt), Loyal Midas (a multilateral FTX 
to qualify a stand-by Maritime Component Commander for a 
future NRF rotation. 
 
¶16.  (U) Overall objectives for Navy training in 2005 were: 
100 days at sea per ship, 13 exercises, four of which were 
Amphibious exercises, three of which were mine warfare 
exercises, two deployments of the Charles de Gaulle CVBG, 
participation in one major NATO exercise, participation in 
one major EU exercise and five Joint exercises. 
 
¶17.  (U) The French air force continues to seek 
opportunities to exercise and train with the US.  During 
2005, the French air force participated in Exercise Bright 
Star in Egypt, and Exercise Air Warrior in the US.  France 
also continues to offer the US opportunities to use their 
training ranges and training airspace associated with 
Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. 
 
 
French Support for Space Launch Activities 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶18.  (U) France supported multiple space launch activities 
from their facilities in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and 
the south of France.  The French government approved a US 
request to use the islands of Reunion and Nuka Hiva for 
telemetry tracking missions supporting NASA space launches. 
Additionally, the French support US space shuttle launches 
with access to the French Air Base in Istres France as an 
alternate shuttle landing site. 
 
 
Defense Trade and Industrial Cooperation 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶19.  (U) Source priorities in order of importance for 
French defense acquisition remain France, EU, and all 
others (to include the U.S.).  National pride and limited 
budgets govern this order.  The French defense industry 
continues to provide the greatest depth and breadth of any 
western European country.  While its technology is 
sometimes peer-level with the U.S., it is actually superior 
in specific niche areas (e.g., thermal imaging and optics). 
The single most limiting factor is defense spending. 
 
¶20.  (U) In the past year, the French Ministry of Defense 
continued its pursuit of revitalization of forces.  Despite 
competing government interests, the budget of the Defense 
Ministry remained untouched (the Interior was the only 
other ministry spared from budget cuts).  Highlights for 
2005-2006 spending include: a second aircraft carrier; 
introduction of the Rafale fighter aircraft; the European 
Multi-Mission Frigate (FREMM); Network-Centric command and 
control systems; Tigre and NH-90 helicopters; transport 
aircraft; third and fourth strategic missile submarines; 
and cruise missile development.  Only minor increases in 
research and development, as compared to previous years, 
were approved. 
 
¶21.  (U) Foreign Military Sales from the US increased from 
FY03 to FY04 (USD 45.6M to USD 66.9M), while direct 
commercial sales decreased  (USD 18.9M to USD 12.7M.) 
Pending US sales include the Aircraft Launch and Recovery 
Equipment (ALRE) for the second French aircraft carrier, 
and a cruise missile simulator.  FMS training funds were 
expended as in previous years, with the majority centered 
on carrier aviation training and support. 
 
¶22.  (U) Service-specific Data Exchange Agreements (DEAs) 
remained essentially stable, yet significantly, 
renegotiation of four Navy DEAs was concluded, extending 
their expiration dates to 2010.  Discussions continue 
regarding remaining DEAs and four newly proposed 
agreements.  Foreign Comparative Testing programs continue 
to show interest in French technologies, with recent focus 
on underwater GPS, perimeter defense, shipboard self- 
defense, and bomb casing design.  Benchmarking studies have 
been conducted on ship design and manpower reduction. 
 
¶23.  (U) U.S. defense acquisition and sales interests in 
France are significant and include (by service): for the 
Air Force, C-130J, KC-130J, C-17 sales and French AWACS 
upgrade; for the Army and USMC, Sophie, 120mm rifled 
mortars, Active Protection System armor for ground 
vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles; for the Navy, ALRE 
sale, unmanned submerged/underwater vehicles, and maritime 
domain awareness, and network-centric enabled operations. 
All services are focused on any technology that can assist 
in the efforts of the IED Task Force. 
 
¶24.  (U) Privatization of the defense sector has continued, 
albeit at a slow pace.  Although the GoF still maintains 
so-called "golden shares" in several firms, globalization 
has eroded their total control in this arena.  For example, 
the recently privatized shipbuilding firm DCN has again 
partnered with Thales in planning the second French 
aircraft carrier, and was recently awarded a contract by 
the French Navy for total lifetime maintenance support for 
their fleet warships and major combat systems. 
 
¶25.  (U) The anticipated absorption of OCCAR (the 
Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation) into the 
European Defense Agency has stalled, although OCCAR did 
play a role in guiding the French and Italian defense 
ministries to select the General Electric engines for the 
European Multi-Mission Frigate (FREMM) in late 2005. 
¶26.  (U) The EU's European Capabilities Action Plan (ECAP) 
goal is to coordinate financing processes and to get 
European defense industry involved in identifying and 
filling gaps.  There is also a recent effort to engage 
university research labs through funding made available 
from private industries.  Further privatization and 
increased competitiveness of the French defense sector 
should support these trends. 
 
¶27.  (U) Tangential but significant issues to defense 
cooperation include continued pursuit of a Declaration of 
Principles (DoP) on armaments and end-use controls required 
by the U.S. on jointly produced systems, which prevent 
French sales to third parties without USG approval (viewed 
with concern by French government and private industry 
alike though France requires similar guarantees from their 
customers for French products).  On the other hand, U.S. 
Presidential intervention in rejecting the so-called "buy 
American" provisions in the recent U.S. defense bill was 
well received. 
 
¶28.  (U) Recent overtures on the part of both the U.S. and 
French governments have led to an increase in official 
bilateral defense discussions and activity.  The impending 
change of government in 2007 will have a significant impact 
on whether or not this trend continues.  While France's 
2005 vote against the EU referendum was seen as a setback 
to both the French government and to the EU's future, its 
full effect remains to be seen.  As noted above, there are 
signs of consolidation of efforts among EU institutions, 
specifically in the defense arena.  Economic realities and 
collective resolve should eventually determine whether 
these trends continue. 
 
 
The Future of French Defense Spending 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶29.  (U) Future French Defense budgets must conform to a 
new inter-governmental finance law known by the acronym 
LOLF (Organic Law of the Finance Law).  In this new 
framework, the funding made available to the Ministry of 
Defense abandons the traditional budget distributions by 
'Titles' and instead is presented as 'missions and 
programs'.  The most significant of these is the mission to 
'Put into action the National Defense Policy'.  Two of its 
supporting programs are 'Prepare the Force' and 'Equip the 
Force'.  In all, the Defense Ministry budget will be 
organized around four missions and nine supporting 
programs.  In an effort to improve the coherence of the 
defense budget, the LOLF ties budgetary allocations to 
performance.  Also, for the first budget cycle under this 
new system, the Chiefs of Staff of the services have less 
influence on service budgets. Their role is now to assure 
the coherence of the budget rather than the direction of 
it.  In a May 21, 2005 Presidential decree, the Chiefs of 
the Armed Services are now subordinate to the Chief of 
Defense (CHOD).  The CHOD now controls all budgets and 
procurement financing.  Service budgets now must pass 
through the CHOD before they go to the Minister's office 
for approval. (For more information on defense spending and 
the LOLF see paragraphs 111-113.) 
 
¶30.  (U) The 2006 defense budget represents a 2.2% increase 
over the 2005 fiscal year.  In spite of the Defense 
Minister's ability to protect the defense budget from cuts, 
there continue to be difficulties for the French military 
in the future.  These difficulties stem primarily from 
three areas:  first, the inflationary pressures of the 
price of energy; second, cost overruns/delays in 
procurement; and third, increased maintenance costs.  Most 
of the planning for the current five-year budget requests 
was predicated on the cost of a barrel of oil at half the 
current price.  This increase will translate into fewer 
flying hours, fewer training days, and fewer days at sea in 
the next few years.  Procurement of several current 
military systems is behind the original schedule or 
experiencing technical problems.  These delays include the 
Tigre helicopter, Rafale fighter aircraft, A-400M transport 
aircraft, and the new command ship (BPC).  The final 
expense increase will be the result of maintaining the 
older systems in the French military until sufficient 
numbers can replace them. 
 
 
Transforming Military Capabilities 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶31.  (U) In spite of not being part of the integrated 
military command structure of NATO, in January, 2004 France 
received two general officer billets within the command: 
one at Atlantic Command Operations (SHAPE) and one at 
Atlantic Command Transformation (Norfolk).  The French have 
assigned 110 military personnel to the two headquarters, 
representing 2.04% of overall NATO staff posts.  The French 
have also agreed to increase their contribution to Alliance 
military budgets from 4.9% to 7.4%.  Nonetheless, despite 
disclaimers to the contrary, the French have given mixed 
signals over the past two years on their vision of the 
future NATO.  These views have ranged from a desire for 
closer integration with NATO to generally limiting the 
scope of NATO's operations or in favor of an EU defense 
force. 
 
¶32.  (U) France has been a leading proponent to advance a 
"battle-group" concept to create rotational 1500-man size 
forces for use in Chapter VII mandates by the European 
Union.  Based on the EU Operation ARTEMIS model (the French 
led deployment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 
2003) the force would be capable of responding to a crisis 
within 15 days and be sustainable for 30 days minimum, 120 
days maximum.  Full operational capability is scheduled for 
¶2007.  The French insist that these battle groups would be 
compatible with NATO NRF rotations, with either taking the 
lead on the basis of a mutually-agreed decision.  Africa 
has been mentioned as a primary venue for the battle- 
groups. 
 
¶33.  (U) The French Army is investing in UAVs, the Improved 
Infantry Armored Vehicle (VBCI), advanced communications 
equipment, counter-fire radars, and lighter equipment for 
armored units.  They are beginning the process of 
digitization of the Army's battlefield systems and 
purchasing an individual soldier system - the Felin, the 
French Army's equivalent to the U.S. Army's Land Warrior 
system.  These initiatives will enhance French abilities to 
interoperate with US forces and systems. 
 
¶34.  (U) The French Navy has stood up and qualified the HRF 
(M) headquarters staff, the naval component headquarters of 
France's NRF, in Toulon in 2004 and 2005.  This force will 
deploy to the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean in 2006. 
Additionally, the Admiral, Naval Action Force (ALFAN) in 
Toulon has continued to develop over 2004 and 2005.  This 
command is now roughly equivalent to the U.S. Fleet Forces 
Command and has responsibilities for training, certifying, 
and equipping French naval forces.  In an effort to improve 
intelligence support to the French Navy, the French stood 
up a French intelligence command called Centre de 
Renseignment Martime (CRMar). 
 
¶35.  (U) In the context of trying to become more efficient 
and capable of joint and international operations, the 
French Air Force is in the process of a major 
reorganization.  In November 2003, a project team of senior 
staff officers, outgoing base commanders and civilian 
consultants was created and given the mission to develop a 
plan to create a better Air Force. The project team started 
its work in September 2004 and unveiled the plan in October 
¶2005.  The ideas will be progressively implemented 
beginning in 2006.  This ambitious reorganization project, 
named Air 2010, aims in particular at removing duplication 
and creating synergy.  It will serve to optimize the air 
base network while preserving existing capabilities. In 
summary, the Air Force will replace the twelve current 
commands with four large functional 'poles.'  The 
Operations Pole will be in charge of current operations in 
France and abroad.  The Forces pole will be charged with 
leading the preparation and training of the whole of the 
combat forces. The Support Pole will bring together within 
the same staff all the maintenance, logistics, and life 
support.  The Personnel Pole will join together all the 
personnel training and staff management functions. 
 
¶36.  (U) The French military is actively exploring ways to 
increase interoperability with the U.S. with respect to the 
global information grid and uses of information on the 
modern battlefield.  As of late 2005, the French MOD has 
directed increased contact between French military 
officials and U.S. military officials in an effort to 
ensure the French capability to interoperate with the U.S. 
is maintained and improved.  This French initiative is 
aimed at keeping up with the U.S. lead in information 
technology, particularly targeting data and friendly force 
tracking.  The French desperately want to preserve the 
ability to conduct combat operations with the U.S. in every 
domain  air, land, and sea. 
 
 
Recent Contingency Operations, Military Assistance, 
Humanitarian Relief Operations, Peacekeeping, Capacity 
Building, Counterproliferation and Nuclear Threat 
Reduction. 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶37.  (U) The French continue to show their support for 
operations in Afghanistan.  In 2006, they are planning to 
augment their forces to support the increased 
responsibilities of the Kabul regional command in addition 
to the military assets already in place in support of ISAF 
and OEF (see paragraphs 53-56 for more detail). 
Furthermore, the French continue to be actively involved in 
the fight against terrorism through the OEF Task Force 150 
and in the US Counter-Drug effort (see paragraphs 59-60 for 
more detail.) 
 
¶38.  (U) The French Army has been training the Afghan 
National Army within the overall U.S.-led program since its 
inception and the French have consistently expressed a 
desire to be part of NATO's transformation and 
interoperability initiatives as evidenced by their 
significant national contributions to the NATO Response 
Force (NRF) (see paragraphs 66-67 for more detail). 
 
¶39.  (U) In the Balkans, French forces remain among the 
largest contributors to operations in Kosovo and French 
participation in the former NATO SFOR mission in Bosnia 
continued under the EU Force, Operation Althea.  The French 
continue to maintain a small French military presence in 
Macedonia.  They also provide a small presence force in 
Georgia. (See paragraphs 70-71 for more detail). 
 
¶40.  (U) In Africa, France has provided 80 million euros to 
Darfur through the African Union and provides support to 
Chad on a bilateral basis.  The French transported the 
Senegalese units of the AU force to Sudan and the Nigerian 
police contingent. (See paragraph 72 for more detail). 
 
¶41.  (U) In response to natural disasters in 2004 and 2005 
France contributed substantially to Pakistan Earthquake 
relief efforts, the South Asian Tsunami relief efforts, and 
relief efforts after hurricane Katrina hit the southern 
United States. (See paragraphs 73-81 for more detail). 
 
¶42.  (U) The major part of France's efforts at capacity 
building in the world is focused on Africa where France 
relies on its forces stationed in seven nations to conduct 
most of its capacity building operations (see paragraphs 
82-85 for more detail).  Also, 4000 French troops stand 
alongside UNOCI in Operation Licorne in Cote d'Ivoire in 
support of the UN operation, in addition to the French 
permanent base in Abidjan. 
 
¶43.  (U) French Gendarmerie has taken the lead in the 
development of the European Gendarmerie Force.  French 
Gendarmes are also deployed in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Haiti 
(MINUSTAH), Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), the Democratic Republic 
of the Congo, Chad, and the Central Africa Republic.  They 
also conducted training in Kinshasa, Kenya (see paragraphs 
86-89 for more detail). 
 
¶44.  (U) In the summer of 2004, the French also began a 
joint fighter pilot training school in Cazeaux, France (see 
paragraph 90 for more detail). 
 
¶45.  (U) As a nuclear state, France endorses deterrence 
theory and holds to long-standing NATO doctrines.  It has 
consistently supported international arms control regimes 
as a means of bolstering stability and transparency.  In 
addition to its continued support for international 
mechanisms to limit proliferation, France with their 
British and German colleagues pursued EU3 negotiations to 
obtain Iranian compliance with Iran's Safeguard Agreement 
commitments.  EU3 efforts led to the signing of the Paris 
Agreement in November 2004.  Iranian resumption of 
conversion in August 2005, and research on enrichment in 
December 2005, led to suspension of Paris Agreement 
discussions.  France and its EU partners, with U.S. 
support, continue to pursue efforts to convince Iran to 
suspend its nuclear ambitions. (See paragraphs 91-93 for 
more detail). 
 
¶46.  (U) The French military continues to maintain strong 
contacts with the U.S. and other NATO countries for 
contingency planning.  During 2004 and 2005, France 
conducted planning and exchanges with EUCOM and CENTCOM. 
French and U.S. analysts and planners share information on 
terrorism and WMD proliferation as well as political- 
military developments.  From the beginning of operations in 
Afghanistan (both OEF and ISAF), and the Lebanon crisis, 
French and U.S. planners have continued to work together to 
produce effective, timely results.  French forces 
permanently or temporarily stationed in Africa and Central 
Asia have assisted U.S. operations in the EUCOM and CENTCOM 
theater of operations. 
 
 
-------------------------------------- 
-------------------------------------- 
REF A PARAS 9-10:  DIRECT COST-SHARING 
-------------------------------------- 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶47.  (U) No direct cost sharing activities occur in France 
 
 
 
------------------------------------- 
------------------------------------- 
REF A PARA 11:  INDIRECT COST SHARING 
------------------------------------- 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶48.  (U) No indirect cost-sharing activities as described 
in Ref A paragraph 11 occur in France.  However the U.S. 
did receive several types of miscellaneous indirect cost- 
sharing benefits from France as described below. 
 
 
Overflight Clearances, Port Access, Use of French 
Facilities 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶49.  (U) In 2004, France granted overflight and landing 
clearances to 1842 USG missions.  977 of these missions 
were in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  76 of these 
missions supported operations in the Balkans.  During 2005, 
France granted 2061 overflight and landing clearances to 
USG missions.  811 of these missions supported OIF while 68 
supported Balkan operations.  France continued to grant 
blanket overflight clearances to most USG missions allowing 
over flights of and landings in France without notice. 
 
¶50.  (U) The 744 Expeditionary Air Base Group operated 
three KC-135 tanker aircraft from Istres Airbase in 
southern France during most of 2004.  This group of 100 US 
military personnel flew air refueling missions supporting 
operations in the Balkans.  The French provided fuel tax- 
free.  The mission ended in December 2004. 
 
¶51.  (U) Tax concessions on fuel and landing fees for non- 
operational missions during 2004 totaled approximately 4000 
dollars.  During 2005 these concessions totaled 8450 
dollars. 
 
¶52.  (U) During 2004 the US Navy made 14 port calls to 
facilities in metropolitan France.  In 2005 the number of 
port calls was 29.  In all cases, the French Navy provided 
excellent support and force protection services without 
cost.  Additionally, no taxes were imposed for supplies or 
parts for US ships visiting French ports. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
REF A PARA 12 RECENT CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS, MILITARY 
ASSISTANCE, HUMANITARIAN RELIEF OPERATIONS, CAPACITY 
BUILDING, COUNTERPROLIFERATION, AND NUCLEAR THREAT 
REDUCTION 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
Subparagraph A:  Recent Contingency operations (See French 
Force Disposition and External Operations Table for 
personnel numbers) 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶53.  (U) The French were among the first nations to 
volunteer troops to the International Security Assistance 
Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan and France continues to 
be responsible for Kabul International Airport and the area 
north of Kabul to the U.S. base at Bagram.  A French 
battalion has been a part of ISAF since December 2001. 
From August 2004 to February 2005, a French general 
commanded the NATO-led ISAF.  France has proposed an 
increased role in ISAF and offered to lead Regional 
CommandKabul as part of the NATO reorganization and 
expansion of ISAF.  In October 2005, France and Turkey 
announced that they would co-lead Regional Command-Kabul. 
The French are planning to augment their forces from the 
current 700 in ISAF to between 1,000  1,200 personnel to 
support the increased responsibilities of the regional 
command to include providing a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) 
battalion.  The French have continued to provide a military 
police detachment in support of ISAF. 
 
¶54.  (U) Supporting OEF, the French Armed Forces continue 
to be actively involved in the fight against terrorism. 
200 members of the French Special Forces are currently 
deployed in the South of Afghanistan alongside U.S. Special 
Forces in military operations against the Taliban. 
 
¶55.  (U) France assigned liaison officers to the U.S. staff 
headquarters in Tampa to ensure the interface between the 
military authorities of the two countries.  French forces 
were directly involved in the fight against terrorism by 
y 
carrying out the following missions: 
 
¶56.  (U) The air and sea group took part in air operations 
above Afghanistan in April-May 2004 (84 aircrafts were 
involved in operational missions for 450 flight hours). 
The French Air Force deployed within less than 48 hours six 
Mirage 2000D and two refueling aircraft from metropolitan 
France to the deployable airbase in Manas (Kyrgyzstan) 
which played a key role in the prosecution of air 
campaigns. 
 
¶57.  (U) In addition, two C160 airplanes with 130 soldiers 
of the Air Force have been operating in Dushanbe 
(Tajikistan) since December 3, 2001, totaling 10,000 flight 
hours. This detachment is focused on airlifting the French 
Forces operating in different areas in Afghanistan. 
 
¶58.  (U) In October 2004, three Mirage F1CR and one tanker 
C135FR were deployed in Dushanbe to carry out tactical 
reconnaissance missions for ISAF and the coalition against 
terrorism.  To help promote the development of democracy in 
Afghanistan in close collaboration with its allies, the 
French Air Force again deployed an air detachment in 
Dushanbe, from August through November 2005 during the 
parliamentary elections.  Within ISAF, the detachment, 
which includes three Mirage F1CR, three Mirage 2000D and 
two tankers C135FR based in Manas, was intended to 
establish an air presence throughout the country and 
support ground forces operations to deter any action likely 
to disrupt the elections.  It was also entrusted with the 
mission to undertake reconnaissance and fire support 
operations supporting OEF. 
 
¶59.  Finally, the French military participates in the fight 
against terrorism within the OEF Task Force 150 (TF 150). 
The Task Force is actively involved in the following 
operations: 
- monitoring air and sea movements in the Red Sea, the Sea 
of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf, 
- prohibiting the filtration of terrorists to the Arabian 
Peninsula or the Horn of Africa, 
- fighting against illegal trafficking (weapons, drugs 
etc.), 
- fighting against piracy and banditry acts. 
 
¶60.  (U) Since February 2003, a EUROMARFOR task group is 
part of the TF 150 and operates under the command of the 
U.S. staff.  The French Navy greatly contributes to the TF 
150 (about a quarter of the Task Force) with three ships 
operating on a permanent basis. France took command of TF 
150 twice from September 2003 to January 2004 and from June 
to September 2004. 
 
¶61.  (U) An aircraft based in Djibouti, which was 
incorporated into the Task Force 57 (TF 57), is intended to 
patrol in coordination with the TF 150 ships.  The 62 
French ships involved in Operation Enduring Freedom since 
15 December 2001 totaled more than 6,000 days at sea. 
 
¶62.  (U) The French Navy's strong participation in CTF-150, 
both by continuously providing ships and often providing a 
command staff in the Indian Ocean, particularly off of 
Somalia and the Gulf of Oman, and the presence of French 
Navy liaison personnel at NAVCENT Headquarters in Bahrain 
makes possible a good degree of interaction and cooperation 
in this key region.  The French also maintain maritime 
patrol aircraft worldwide and cooperate with the U.S. Navy 
where there is common interest. 
 
¶63.  (U) The French also participate in the US Counter-Drug 
effort with Naval Forces.  A French military officer is 
assigned to the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF 
South) in Key West, to ensure coordination with French 
forces in the Caribbean.  Fort-de-France in Martinique 
supports U.S. Navy and Coast Guard units with port visits 
and the Navy Command in Fort-de-France has assisted the 
U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard with the movement of 
personnel and weapons between various ships and aircraft. 
The direct participation of the French Navy in counter-drug 
operations consists of the deployment of frigates to the 
region to work with U.S. forces on a regular basis and the 
use of Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployed to the region. 
 
¶64.  (U) In 2004, the French Navy stopped three drug 
trafficking ships in the Antilles and one Togolese ship in 
the Gulf of Guinea with 450 kg of cocaine.  The counter 
drug effort of the French Navy in 2004 was 199 days at sea, 
156 hours of flight, 2058 ships queried, four ships 
intercepted, and 1020 kg of drugs ceased. 
 
¶65.  (U) In 2004, the French Navy effort against 
clandestine immigration equaled 683 days at sea, 904 flight 
hours, three ships intercepted, 43 clandestine immigrants 
turned over to border police. 
 
 
------------------------------------- 
Subparagraph B.  Military Assistance: 
NRF/NTMI/Afghanistan/NATO PKO. 
---------- -------------------------- 
 
¶66.  (U) The French Army has been training the Afghan 
National Army within the overall U.S.-led program since its 
inception.  Since 2002, the French have trained more than 
2,000 Afghans.  This includes three of the initial 
battalions; they have set-up the officer basic course and 
the staff officer's course.  The French are currently 
participating in the Embedded Training Team concept with 
French Army soldiers assigned to mentor an Afghan battalion 
in Kandahar. 
 
¶67.  (U) The French have consistently expressed a desire to 
be part of NATO's transformation and interoperability 
initiatives as evidenced by their significant national 
contributions to the NATO Response Force (NRF).  By 
participating in NRFs 1 through 6, the total French 
military contribution equals up to 40 percent of ground 
units, 30 percent of air assets, and 20 percent of naval 
capabilities.  The French air force provides the deployable 
combined air operations center (CAOC) for the European led 
NRF.  In January 2005, the French air force conducted AIREX 
2005, a training exercise, to prepare for command of NRF-05 
in July. On July 1st, the French air force became the Joint 
Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) of NRF-05 for six 
months.  In 2004, NATO sent the NRF's Land Component 
Command Headquarters, the French led EUROCORPS, to lead the 
ISAF in Afghanistan.  As part of NRF 5, NATO activated 
France's Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) to 
coordinate the air movements for the Pakistan earthquake 
relief effort.  On 1 October 2005, the French formally 
created a multinational headquarters to serve as the Land 
Component Command for future rotations of the NRF. 
 
¶68.  (U) In 2005, the French also established a Maritime 
Component Command HQ to serve in future iterations of 
NATO's NRF.  The French Navy successfully stood-up the 
High-Readiness Force  Maritime (HRF-M) staff in Toulon and 
qualified the staff during an at-sea exercise in 2005. 
This staff, will serve its rotational duties as an on-call 
force, ahead of schedule, and is being used by the French 
for out-of-area operations, for example, during the 
upcoming Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean deployment of the Charles 
de Gaulle Carrier Battle Group in early 2006.  There is one 
U.S. Naval Officer assigned to the HRF-M staff. 
 
¶69.  (U) The French government has forbidden its military 
from contributing troops to the NATO training mission 
inside Iraq (NTM-1).  One French officer is working on the 
training mission staff at SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium, 
and the GoF pledged 660,000 euros in February 2005 to help 
finance NTM-1.  In 2005, the GoF took initial steps to 
contribute to the development of Iraqi defense and security 
capabilities.  Under the European Union's EUJUSTLEX 
program, France has pledged to train 200 Iraqi police 
officials and judges in rule of law training in France, 
making France the top EU contributor to this program. 
Approximately 40 Iraqi police officials (non-military) 
completed month-long training at the Ecole Nationale 
Superieure des Officiers de Police and the Ecole Nationale 
de Police in 2005.  A third course started at the end of 
2005 for judicial instruction at the Ecole Nationale de la 
Magistrature.  At the same time, a French offer to train up 
to 1,500 Iraqi paramilitary police (gendarmes) outside Iraq 
remains unimplemented, although an Iraqi Ministry of 
Interior delegation visited France in July 2005 to further 
discuss the proposal.  Currently there is a single Gendarme 
Officer in Iraq, responsible for provision of security for 
French embassy staff in Baghdad. 
 
¶70.  (U) In the Balkans, French forces remain among the 
largest contributors to operations in Kosovo.  French 
participation in the former NATO SFOR mission in Bosnia 
continued under the EU Force, Operation Althea.  210 
Gendarmes supported both the United Nations Interim mission 
in Kosovo and the NATO Intervention Forces in Kosovo. 
French Lieutenant General de Kermabon transferred authority 
as COMKFOR on 1 September 2005 after one year of command, 
the second time France has commanded KFOR.  The French 
government provided approximately 60 gendarmes, including 
20 officers to help combat organized crime under the Office 
of the High Representative in Bosnia-Hersegovina. 
Additionally, they provided European Union Police and 
military police in support of European Union Forces in 
Bosnia. 
 
¶71.  (U) The French continue to maintain a small French 
military presence (15 personnel) in Macedonia providing 
international police in support of the European Police 
Mission.  They also provide a small presence force (three 
military observers) in Georgia to help support the U.N. 
monitoring mission. 
 
¶72.  (U) Regarding peacekeeping efforts in Africa, there 
has been ongoing debate as to NATO's role in Africa.  This 
debate was most evident during the 2005 crisis in Darfur 
with France focusing its support for the AU through the EU. 
France, however, honored its pledge to SECSTATE that it 
would not oppose a NATO role in the crisis.  France has 
provided 80 million euros to Darfur through the African 
Union and provides support to Chad on a bilateral basis. 
French troops and aircraft are conducting ground and air 
border security.  During 2005, France provided refueling 
support to NATO and EU aircraft at Abech in Eastern Chad, 
as well as personnel recovery capabilities using three C- 
160 transport aircraft and three Puma helicopters.  The 
French transported the Senegalese units of the AU force to 
Sudan and the Nigerian police contingent. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Subpara C:  Humanitarian Relief Operations 
NATOHMRO/Pakistan/Katrina/Tsunami 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶73.  (U) In 2003, France allotted 9.3 million euros (USD 
11.2 million) to what it termed Emergency Humanitarian 
Assistance, all of which was channeled through the 
Emergency Humanitarian Aid Fund of the MFA.  In 2004, the 
initial allotment was 9.3 million euros (USD 11.2 million). 
The fund may be increased on an extraordinary basis to 
finance unexpected operations; this was the case in 2005, 
when France announced an emergency increased allotment of 
2.8 million euros (USD 3.4 million) in favor of the victims 
of natural disasters or civil crises, primarily focused on 
the victims of the tsunami in Thailand, Sri Lanka, 
Maldives, Indonesia, and India, and an additional 
allocation of 5.6 million euros (USD 6.7 million) for the 
victims of the earthquake in Pakistan (see paragraphs 
below).  The additional aid is imputed into the 2005 
balance sheet bringing the total amount of emergency 
donations to 16,147,081 million euros.  Allotments in 2006 
are projected to increase to benefit victims of 2005's 
Hurricane Katrina in the United States.  For an economic 
analysis of general Grant Aid and Humanitarian Assistance 
see paragraphs 117-221. 
 
¶74.  (U) Pakistan Relief.  The French contributed 82 
military personnel to the Pakistan relief effort.  In 
addition, the French air force deployed two C-130 Hercules 
military transport aircraft to deliver relief supplies. The 
effort included medical service personnel, a surgical team, 
and support personnel (communications, equipment, and 
logistics) in Pakistan.  Forty-six of the military 
personnel were inserted into the various NATO elements in 
Islamabad, Lisbon, Germany, and Turkey.  Additionally, as 
part of NRF 5, NATO activated France's JFACC to coordinate 
the air movement piece of the relief effort.  The JFACC at 
Taverney, near Paris has 23 French, five UK, and one U.S. 
officer assigned. 
 
¶75.  (U) KATRINA Relief.  The NRF was activated in 
September 2005 after hurricane Katrina.  At the same time, 
France used its Joint Forces Air Component (JFACC) to task 
the French Air Force to collect and deliver the 150 tons of 
European supplies for Louisiana.  This support was 
delivered to Ramstein airbase, Germany.  The French air 
force also provided two transport aircraft to move over 
four tons of supplies, including tents, tarps, and 1000 
rations, to the US from the Caribbean.  Along with these 
supplies, the French provided a team of four civil security 
personnel to help assess future U.S. needs and distribute 
assistance.  Two French liaison officers were posted to the 
Joint Forces Commander in Lisbon to help coordinate all 
European assistance.  An Airbus Beluga aircraft also 
delivered 12.7 tons of emergency equipment to Mobile, 
Alabama; 
 
¶76.  (U) The French Navy deployed a team of 17 Navy divers 
to assist with the Katrina disaster.  This was facilitated 
by the fact that the French maintain a liaison officer with 
the U.S. Mine Warfare Command in Corpus Christi, Texas. 
The 17 French divers worked from September 11, 2005 to 
October 8, 2005 helping to clear waterways of debris and 
recover vessels. 
 
¶77.  (U) The GOF also offered the following contributions 
to assist with Katrina disaster recovery: 
--The "Gendarmerie nationale" offered experts in forensic 
police; 
--The GOF (with Airbus) offered to send an additional 20- 
30,000 food rations. 
 
¶78.  (U) Tsunami Relief.  The French Navy worked with U.S. 
forces and other willing partners following the December 
26, 2004 Tsunami in South East Asia.  In response to this 
disaster, the French Navy re-routed its helicopter carrier, 
Jeanne D'Arc, and, after picking up extra emergency 
supplies from the French base in Djibouti, sent the units