Provisional
composition of NATO
peacekeeping force
01:00 p.m Jun 10, 1999 Eastern
LONDON, June 10 (Reuters) -
Some 50,000 troops are expected
to take part in KFOR, NATO's
peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Its
tentative composition, according to
member defence ministries, is as
follows:
++ Britain to provide 13,000
troops, KFOR's largest contingent.
British paratroopers are expected
to be the among the first troops
into Kosovo. Some 5,500 British
troops from the Royal Gurkha
Rifles, the Parachute Regiment and
the Irish Guards are already in the
region. Some 4,000 more troops
are moving this week and the rest
should be in place within a couple
of weeks.
++ Russia has pledged to send up
to 10,000 troops, which it wants
to operate under Russian
command.
++ The U.S. has committed 7,000
infantry, engineers and armour to
KFOR and says these are
expected to be in eastern Kosovo
(U.S. sector) within 30 days. An
initial force of 4,000 -- 1,900
Marines now moving through
Greece into Macedonia, 1,700
troops from Apache Task force in
Tirana and another 400 soldiers
from Europe -- will be moving in
from a gathering point north of
Skopje almost immediately. That
initial force will be replaced in
coming weeks with 7,000 U.S.
Army troops and armour, mostly
based in Germany. The initial force
will include eight Apache
helicopters from Tirana and four
Cobra attack helicopters.
++ France is to send 7,000
troops, with 15 Leclerc main battle
tanks, eight self-propelled 155 mm
guns, 120 mortars, AMX-10 P
fighting armoured vehicles,
AMX-10 RC wheeled light tanks,
engineers, armoured bulldozers, 20
Puma transport helicopters, eight
Gazelle tank-killing helicopters.
Some 3,000-3,500 are currently
on standby in Macedonia and
2,500 are on their way or will be in
the next few days.
++ Germany has agreed to send
2,500 extra troops to the Balkans
bringing its total to 8,500
depending on parliamentary
approval. Germany has on standby
32 Marder armoured troop
carriers, 33 Leopard 2 battle
tanks, 62 Fuchs armoured
transport vehicles, 24 Luchs
armoured reconnaissance vehicles,
12 air transportable Weasel
armoured vehicles, two engineer
armoured vehicles, two bridge
laying tanks and two mine
clearance tanks.
++ Italy has pledged to commit
4,000-5,000 Italian troops to the
peacekeeping force, of which
around half will be infantry. Italy
will also send an armoured
regiment, a helicopter squadron,
artillery, battalion engineers and a
signal battalion.
++ Netherlands is to send 2,050
soldiers, to be deployed mainly
within a German-Dutch brigade.
Some 800 men will join the Field
Artillery and the rest serve in
supporting units. The Netherlands
has also offered to supply a
combined engineering/humanitarian
unit of some 1,000 people. Some
750 Dutch members of Bosnia's
NATO-led Stabilisation Force
(SFOR) have been asked to be
strategic reserves for KFOR.
++ Spain says it will send up to
1,200 troops.
++ Denmark will contribute a
700-850 man armoured infantry
battalion. The Danish force will
consist of three fighting units, a
tank squadron of 10 Leopard main
battle tanks and two armoured
infantry companies equipped with
armoured vehicles carrying heavy
and light machine guns.
++ Finland plans to send one
battalion of 800 peacekeepers.
++ Greece is expected to send
about 800 troops and
administrative staff, including two
mechanised battallions, medical
units, support staff.
++ Sweden hopes to send about
900 soldiers.
++ Ukraine is ready to send 1,300
peacekeepers if asked.
++ Austria is to send contingent of
450, seen ready in 90 days.
++ Czech Republic plans to send
150 troops.
++ Dubai expects to contribute
100-200 personnel.
++ Romania is to send 250
peacekeepers, an engineers unit
and a field hospital.
SFOR - Bosnia
2,500 soldiers, of which 2,100 is
the army contingent, 400 at the
multinational Headquarters
AFOR - Albania
600 soldiers stationed for
humanitarian reasons.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.
All rights reserved.
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