Opération Extérieures (OPEX) - Chammal
Launched on September 19, 2014, Operation Chammal is the name given to the French component of the combined operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) bringing together more than 70 Nations. At the request of the Iraqi government and in coordination with the allies of France present in the region, it aims to provide military support to local forces engaged in the fight against Daesh on their territory.
Operation Chammal is based on two complementary pillars: a "support" pillar intended to support the troops engaged on the ground against Daesh and to strike Daesh's military capabilities; a "training" pillar for the benefit of the Iraqi security forces. To date, the complete system of Operation Chammal has nearly 1,000 soldiers.
Following the attacks in Paris, the President of the Republic decided to step up the fight against Daesh by notably authorizing the flights of French aircraft over Syria. The new logo now presents, on a tricolor flag background, the two countries which constitute the theater of the Chammal operation : Iraq and Syria. In the outer circle, the name of the operation is framed by two wind roses, an allusion to the chammal , the northwest wind blowing over Iraq and the Persian Gulf. In the inner circle, the sword, the two naval anchors and the wings recall the joint character of the French system.
The scimitar and the bay leaf, also present on the logo of the Inherent Resolve operation , thus mark the inseparable character of the two operations. The scimitar symbolizes the local forces that are fighting on the ground against Daesh , supported and trained by the soldiers of the coalition. The laurel branch, symbol of victory, consists of seven leaves which represent the seven main peoples of Iraq: Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Yazidis and Armenians.
On September 08, 2015, by decision of the President of the Republic and faced with the terrorist threat to France, the intervention area of Operation Chammal was extended to Syria, in order to be able to also strike the centers from which Daesh plans and organize his attacks. On November 20, 2015, following the attacks in Paris, the adoption by the United Nations of resolution 2249 marked the determination of the international community to combat by all means the terrorist threat.
As of 2016 the complete system of Operation Chammal was structured around fourteen Rafale Air Force bombers and a CAESAR artillery detachment (Truck equipped with an artillery system). It also includes a hundred soldiers projected in Baghdad and Erbil for the training and the advice of the staffs and Iraqi units.
Deploying planes continuously in the Levant for nearly five years, the air forcecurrently underway 11 Rafale at air bases in Jordan and the United Arab EmiratesUnited. In 2017, it periodically received the support of 4 Rafale Marine, deployed in Jordan to theplace of 4 Rafale Air. These fighters contribute directly to the support of ground troops andalso conduct intelligence, armed reconnaissance and strike missionsplanned. Equipped with new generation reconnaissance pods and laser or GPS-guided munitions, the Rafale most often carry out fire support and reconnaissance missions. carryingalso SCALP cruise missiles, they regularly strike the capabilities Daech in destroying for example explosive device manufacturing complexes or traffic centers sources of funding for the terrorist organization.
The success of offensive fighter missions also depends on action complementary to “high added value” aircraft - which carry out the essential missions of Intelligence, Supply and Air Command ( AWACS E-3F, Atlantique 2,C-135 FR tankers ) - but also on the use of satellite resources and various national communication networks. National control over the use of air assets is exercised by experts from the component of French Air Force inserted in an Allied Command Center for operations (CAOC) located in Qatar.
Deployed within Operation CHAMMAL in Iraq since March 2015, the French Task Forces Narvik and Monsabert are reorganizing, from January 20, 2020, in the form of a “new generation” Monsabert Task Force bringing together all the trainers under one entity.
Present as close as possible to the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (ICTS) it has been training since March 2015, the militaries of Task Force (TF) Narvik are preparing to pass under the command of TF Monsabert, from January 20, 2020 Each TF Narvik member has dedicated himself for several days to the preparations for this reorganization while continuing the instructions for the benefit of the ICTS.
In less than 5 years, TF Narvik will have brought its expertise to more than 13,800 Iraqi soldiers, whether they are from the ICTS Academy or operational battalions. The ICTS also called the “Golden Division” is on the front line of the fight against DAECH and participated in the battles of Ramadi, Hit, Mosul or Fallujah. A total of 9,500 soldiers and 400 instructors will have been trained by TF Narvik in fields as diverse as the fight against IED (post-attack investigation), intelligence (search for clues, information gathering, photography), combat in an enclosed environment (combat in urban areas, hand-to-hand combat, digging and break-in), long-range shooting, the use of mortars, teaching, topography or even combat first aid.
The objective of this planned reorganization is to bring together the French soldiers of Operation CHAMMAL deployed in Baghdad under a single entity: the TF Monsabert. It responds to the achievement of the objectives assigned to TF Narvik, the first two schools of the ICTS having acquired their autonomy and reached a satisfactory level.
This new structure should make it possible to optimize training for the benefit of the Iraqi armed forces by bringing together all the instructors and trainers of each specialty. This regrouping will allow a reinforced collaborative work. It will also provide a broader vision of the internships to offer and their content. It should also allow greater attention to be paid to training with high added value, at the top of the spectrum.
The trainings conducted for the benefit of the third school of ICTS, the 6 th Division of Iraqi infantry and Iraqi artillery school will be directly controlled from the new TF Monsabert who continue to participate in pillars " advise & assist " (Advice and training). The objective remains to fight against Daesh and armed terrorist groups but also to allow the Iraqi armed forces to become fully autonomous in protecting their territory.
In 2019, the Carrier Strike Group (GAN) wasdeployed as part of Operation Chammalfor the fourth time in four years soto intensify France's efforts withinthe coalition in its fight against Daesh. The 20 aircraft carrier force came to reinforce planes already deployed in the Levant totake part in coalition operationsfrom the Eastern Mediterranean. Composed of nearly 2,800 French sailors, the GAN consisted of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and of its on-board air group, accompanied by three to five escort vessels, one command and refueling vessel, and a submarine.
France will deploy the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and its battle group from January to April to support French military operations in the Middle East, Emmanuel Macron said on 16 January 2020. “The aircraft carrier will support Chammal operations (in the Middle East) from January to April 2020 before deploying to the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea”, Macron said at a New Year speech to the French military. The deployment comes amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States, and French concerns that the fight against Islamic State militants may be weakened within that context.
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