Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in - United States ...

Ensuring the ability of the ANSF to plan and conduct operations unilaterally is the ultimate goal
of partnering relationships. Units are performing exceptionally well when the ANSF are capable
not only of planning, preparing, and executing missions, but are also able to incorporate and
coordinate other ANSF elements for a joint operation. ISAF is also focusing on improving the
sustainability of the combat formations through the ANSF logistic mechanisms.
ANSF-ISAF operations include: 1) ANA Partnered (ANA conducted the operation jointly with
ISAF); 2) ANP Partnered (AUP, ABP, or ANCOP conducted the operation jointly with ISAF);
3) Joint ANSF Partnered (ANA and ANP conducted the operation jointly with ISAF); 4) ANSF
Led (ANSF conducted the mission with support from ISAF).
In the past six months, the number of partnered operations as well as ANSF-led operations
increased. A decrease in total number of operations in January and February 2012 is attributable
to the extreme winter weather across the country. The total percentage of ANSF-led operations
also increased, rising from 14 percent (16 of 112) in September 2011 to almost 33 percent (31 of
95) in February 2012.
The majority of reported Level 1 and Level 2 partnered operations, as defined in figure 16,
occurred in Regional Commands South (RC-S), Southwest (RC-SW), and East (RC-E) between
August 2011 and January 2012; ANSF-led operations typically occurred in RC-S, RC-E, and
Regional Command North (RC-N). Partnered operations are generally expected to yield an
increase in ANSF-led operations as ANSF unit capabilities increase. This trend is evident in RC-
S and RC-E but not in RC-SW. A more thorough analysis of Cycle 13 CUAT data for units in
RC-SW shows an improvement in ANSF ability to plan and lead Level 0 operations, which are
not reported through formal channels. CUAT data indicates that ANSF-led operations are most
frequently lower-risk operations. This conclusion is substantiated by data in Figure 15: ANSFled
Operations, which compares Level 1 and 2 operations. There was, however, one ANSF-led
Level 2 operation in Khost (RC-E) in February 2012. The success of this operation illustrates
the developing Afghan capacity to successfully lead operations in this sensitive border area
between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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