VZCZCXRO8027
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHBS #3346/01 3200754
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 160754Z NOV 07
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 003346 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA (NDEAN), EUR/RPM (BTURNER AF/FO 
(JSWAN), AF/RSA (MBITTRICK), PRM/AFR )MMCKELVEY) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017 
TAGS: MOPS EUN CD CT PHUM
SUBJECT: LATEST FORCE GENERATION FOR ESDP MISSION TO CHAD 
 
REF: A. BRUSSELS 03258 B. BRUSSELS 03018 
 
Classified By: USEU Pol-Mil chief Jeremy Brenner for reasons 1.4 (b) an 
d (d). 
 
¶1. (U)  Summary.  The EU held force generation conferences on 
November 9 and 14 to raise the forces required for the 
planned ESDP mission to Chad.  With France providing half the 
force, the total pledged troop strength would be at the low 
end of the requirement for the mission.  Potentially 
crippling shortfalls in helicopters and logistics remain. 
End summary. 
 
¶2. (C)  On November 9, the EU held another Force Generation 
Conference for its EUFOR Chad/RCA mission (full report 
transmitted electronically to EUR/ERA).  This was the first 
official force generation conference since the Operation 
Commander, Irish LTG Patrick Nash, assumed his post and 
established force requirements.  Another session took place 
November 14.  If Member States are not more forthcoming 
today, there will likely be some "offensive tackling8 at the 
meeting of EU Chiefs of Defense (CHODS) on November 15 and 
the November 19 General Affairs and External Relations 
Council (GAERC).  There is talk within the Council 
Secretariat and EU Military Staff about asking the French to 
 
SIPDIS 
provide more logistic support rather than maneuver units. 
Germany and the UK will not participate in the military 
mission. 
 
--------------------- 
What has been pledged 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. (C)  At the conference, there were pledges for three 
maneuver battalions of roughly 500 troops each (one French, 
one Polish and one Irish).  The Swedes (200 troops), Finns 
(80-100) and Romanians (80-100) will each provide a company 
to augment the maneuver battalions. Special Forces units will 
be provided by Austria, France, Ireland and Belgium.  Franc 
will provide aircraft for sorties with a smal Joint Forces 
Air Component (already in Cad), in support of, but not 
attached to the mission.  Extremely limited tactical 
fixed-wing transport was offered by Spain and Greece.  Each 
is considering offering an aircraft but with so many caveats 
that their utility will be limited. 
 
------------------------- 
What they don,t have yet 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C)  No helicopters were pledged.  There was no offer of 
logistical support, except for a platoon of on-call air 
engineers.  No Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), 
reconnaissance capabilities, intelligence capabilities, 
medical units or MEDIVAC were contributed.  Given the 
environment, the size of the area of operations (AO), and 
absence of local infrastructure, the lack of tactical lift, 
helicopters, and logistical support would be a crippling 
shortfall for the mission. 
 
---------------- 
Mission Timeline 
---------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU)  The original Military Strategic Option  called for 
4,000 plus personnel to deploy incrementally.  It is likely 
that the French will fill in many of the gaps in Force 
Generation, since they already have 1,300 troops on the 
ground that could be dual-hatted.  Currently, the goal is to 
achieve initial operational capability (IOC) on 25 December 
with the French troops, with full operational capability 
(FOC) in mid-May.  The EU has approved a 12 month mandate; 
the clock for this will begin at IOC. 
 
--------------- 
Mission Concept 
--------------- 
 
¶6. (C)  The mission is part of the greater Darfur framework 
with the following political-military objectives:  Enable 
UN-trained Chadian police and UN police to deploy and operate 
in the refugee camps in Eastern Chad and Northern CAR; Enable 
 
BRUSSELS 00003346  002 OF 002 
 
 
humanitarian organizations to provide support under secure 
conditions;  Foster conditions required for voluntary return 
of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to places of origin, 
especially in the Dar Sila region; Support the establishment 
of conditions necessary for the longer-term civilian 
reconstruction necessary for the return of IDPs; Increase the 
level of security for the civilian population, to include 
IDPs and refugees (Concept of Operations document transmitted 
to EUR/ERA).; Depending on Force Generation results, the 
scope of the mission could be reduced.  Following what could 
be an uncomfortable GAERC, the Member States could start to 
offer more. 
 
Gray 
.