French forces in Afghanistan French forces in Afghanistan have been involved in the ongoing War in Afghanistan since late 2001 . They operate within two distinct frameworks : French forces have contributed to both chapters in several national operations : As of 1 November 2009 , 4 , 000 French personnel were deployed in Afghanistan , including the air support of Combined Task Force 150 in the Indian Ocean . Furthermore , 150 gendarmes were deployed in late 2009 . Operations in 2009 alone cost 450 million Euros , amounting to over half the 870 million Euros devoted to military operations abroad . 88 men have been killed . In February 2012 , after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French soldiers in eastern Afghanistan , French president Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to suspend French operations in Afghanistan . The newly elected president Francois Hollande , announced in June 2012 that he would be withdrawing 2 , 000 of France ' s 3 , 400 troops in Afghanistan , leaving 1 , 400 for training and logistics . In November 2012 , France ' s combat troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan , leaving just the logistical contingent in the country . Mission . The official mission statement for French military in Afghanistan in French forces support anti - drug operations , though destruction of opium fields and capture of dealers is not part of their mission . When prisoners are captured during combat , they are surrendered to Afghan authorities . History . The attacks of 11 September 2001 , triggered Article 5 of the NATO treaty , stating that an attack against any member would be regarded as a direct attack on all parties . Although France was not bound by this clause , she pledged armed forces at the side of her allies . Legal context and UN mandate . On 20 December 2001 , Resolution 1386 of the United Nations Security Council created the International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF ) , under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter . Its mandate is " Opération Héraklès " . From 21 October 2001 , " opération Héraklès " came in force , with the deployment of twenty Mirage IV P and twenty C - 135 FR at the air base of Al Dhafra . These planes carried out 800 one - hour reconnaissance missions over Afghanistan , after crossing the Sea of Oman and part of Pakistan , until they were drawn back to France on in February 2002 . On 21 November 2001 , the " Charles De Gaulle " and her battle group were deployed in the Indian Ocean to support NATO operations in Afghanistan . Dubbed Task Force 473 , the group comprise the " Charles De Gaulle " , the frigates " La Motte - Picquet " , " Jean de Vienne " and " Jean Bart " , the tanker " Meuse " , the nuclear submarine " Rubis " , and aviso " Commandant Ducuing " . On 19 December 2001 , Dassault - Breguet Super Étendard s aircraft carried out their first missions . On 27 December 2001 , Task Force 473 was integrated into a multinational force also comprising the aero - naval groups of the and , and the Italian " Giuseppe Garibaldi " , amounting to over 100 ships in total . On 18 February 2002 , a Helios 2A satellite spotted suspicious activities on the ground near Gardēz . After confirmation by two Super Étendards and by US special forces , Operation Anaconda was launched by US and British forces . The attempted capture of wanted leaders ended in failure as the incomplete surrounding allowed them to flee . In March 2002 , a rescue unit was created under the name of RESAL ( équipe de Recherche Et Secours AéroLarguée ) to help pilots should they be downed over Afghanistan . In March , eight Super Étendards and six Mirage 2000 targeted several suspected Al Qaida targets on request from US forces . US President George Bush stated From February , the " Charles De Gaulle " and " John C . Stennis " exchanged aircraft in joint exercises . Land deployment . On 15 November 2001 , the first French soldiers of the 21st RIMA landed in Afghanistan , Mazar - E - Sharif and North of Kabul . They amounted to 640 men , of whom 400 were deployed under the aegis in the ISAF . On 11 August 2003 , NATO took over command of the 3500 - string ISAF . By that time , the French contingent amounted to 500 men , one seventh of the force . France also assumed command of the Kabul region . Special forces activities : " Opération Épidote " . In May 2003 , during the G8 summit in Evian , President Chirac ordered Special Forces be sent to Southern Afghanistan . 200 men of the Commandement des opérations spéciales operated on the ground from July 2003 to December 2006 near Spin Boldak , and later at Jalalabad . They sustained 7 killed . The year 2003 marked the beginning of " Opération Épidote " , which aimed at training elements of the Afghan Army . The mission lasted three years , during which 3 810 trainees were formed . From 9 August 2004 to 11 February 2005 , the Eurocorps was put in charge for the ISAF6 mission . In February 2010 , one OMLT composed of 70 French soldiers and a number of afghan troops participated to the NATO - led Operation Moshtarak in Hemland , Southern Afghanistan . First casualties . French Forces sustained their first fatality on 31 August 2004 when corporal Murat Yagci , of the 1er RIMa , gravely injured two days earlier when his vehicle fell over a cliff , died of his wounds . Two more soldiers , of the 3e RH , were killed in a traffic accident near Kabul on 21 October . On 12 February 2005 , a corporal of the 2e REI killed himself with his own weapon . The first combat fatalities occurred on 17 September 2005 , when a makeshift landmine killed Corporal Cédric Crupel , of the 1er RIMa , near Spin Boldak . Reinforcements of the expeditionary corps and the Surobi Ambush . By December 2008 , the French contingent in Afghanistan had grown to 1 , 600 men , with 4000 more involved in the theatre of operations . The Air component had carried out 1 700 sorties and 300 shows of force . In August 2008 , nine French soldiers were killed and 21 wounded by guerilla forces in the Uzbin Valley Ambush , near Surobi . A tenth soldier died in a related road accident . These losses , the heaviest in France since the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing , shocked the public opinion and prompted or accelerated deployment of items requested by the military , particularly drones and tele - operated turrets for VABs . On 22 September 2008 , a 343 to 210 vote by the National Assembly of France authorised prolonged intervention in Afghanistan . In March 2009 , the French set on the offensive in Kapisa Province , yielding the Battle of Alasay ; at the price of one killed , they routed a few hundreds of guerrilla and established two outposts for the Afghan Army . On 4 September 2009 , Corporal Johan Naguin , of the 3e RIMa , was killed by a makeshift landmine ; Chief corporal Thomas Rousselle , of the 3e RIMa , died of his wounds two days later , and eight others were wounded . On 27 September , a storm killed three soldiers . A first was struck by lightning ; as others rushed to evacuate him , one was swept away by a flood , and a second drowned as he tried to rescue his comrade . The same day , a fourth soldier died in a road accident , once again as he was riding in the open turret of a VAB . On 4 October , two soldiers died in an explosion triggered against their convoy ; a third , chief sergeant Johann Hivin - Gerard , of the 3e RIMa , succumbed to his wounds four days later . On 31 October 2009 , French general Marcel Druart transferred command of the region of Kabul to Turkish general Levent Çolak . The next day , French forces in Afghanistan were organised under the Aegis of the Brigade La Fayette . Order of battle . The total French forces deployed on the theatre of operations , including Afghanistan , Tajikistan , Kirghizstan and the Indian Ocean , amounts to 30 , 000 men . 23 , 200 have served in Afghanistan itself . Furthermore , 150 gendarmes are training the Afghan police . Army . The French Army has deployed two joint battalions , each comprising three combat companies , and six " Operational Mentoring Liaison Team " . They fall mostly under Regional Command Capital , under Turkish command since 2009 , and under Regional Command East , under US command . Since 1 November 2009 , the French deployment has been deeply reorganised , though complements are supposedly unchanged : Hence , the two French battalions are now grouped both geographically and operationally , under the aegis of the Brigade La Fayette . The GTIA have both been reinforced by one additional infantry company , bringing the effectives to around 3000 men as of 1 November 2009 . They have now the same complement ; each can deploy an AMX - 10 RC platoon , and several fire support platoons comprising VBL and 20mm - armed VAB T20 - 13 vehicles . Summer of 2009 saw a significant beefing up in aerial capabilities , with 3 EC - 665 Tigre and 2 AS - 532 Cougar of the ALAT sent in reinforcements . They add to the 6 helicopters already deployed . Eight 155mm CAESAR self - propelled howitzer s have been sent to Afghanistan . Two are deployed in each outpost held by the French , and the remaining four are kept in Kabul as a reserve . The howitzers deployed in the field can provide fire support to French troops as they operate in neightbouring valleys , complementing the 120mm MO - 120 - RT - 61 mortars that they bring with . Six " Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams " amounting to 300 men assist the Afghan Army : " Opération Épidote " employs 60 men who train Afghan officers . In the year 2009 , 5000 Afghan officers were taught there . About 20 instructors train 6 commando kandaks . At least two kandaks have been formed thus far . Air Force . As of April 2009 , the French Air Force had 334 men in Afghanistan . They manned the following systems : In the same theatre of operation but outside Afghanistan , 172 men are deployed in Dushanbe , in Tajikistan , manning a logistic base and two C - 160 Transall . Furthermore , a C135 is based at the Transit Centre at Manas , in Kirghizistan , with 35 men . Gendarmerie . 150 French gendarmes take part in the 500 - man European Gendarmerie Force contingent in Afghanistan . Two Mobile Gendarmerie squadrons , from Chauny and Satory , are scheduled to deploy for six months from early 2010 to train the Afghan police . Military Fuel Service . The Military Fuel Service has been in charge of fuel supplies in Kabul Airport and in Camp Warehouse since 2006