Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan -

Following the conclusion of the ISAF mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, NATO launched a new mission, Resolute Support Mission (RSM), on January 1, 2015.
The mission deployed approximately 8,000 personnel, including forces from NATO member states and 14 partner countries. The RSM headquarters was based in Kabul, with six key Train Advise AssistCommands (TAACs) strategically positioned across Afghanistan:

• TAAC - Capital (Kabul)
• TAAC - North (Mazar-e-Sharif)
• TAAC - West (Herat)
• TAAC - East (Laghman)
• TAAC - South (Kandahar)
• TAAC - Air (operating across Afghanistan)

From July 2002 to June 15, 2021, the Albanian Armed Forces (FA) contributed a total of 4,160 troops to the mission.

In June 2021, the mission was officially terminated following NATO’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Legal Framework

The mission was established under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), signed in Kabul on September 30, 2014, and ratified by the Afghan Parliament on November 27, 2014. This agreement defined the conditions, duration, and scope of NATO forces deployment in Afghanistan, as well as the permitted military activities within the country. Additionally, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2189, issued on December 12, 2014, endorsed the mission.

Mission Objectives

RSM was designed to provide training, advisory support, and assistance to Afghan security institutions across eight key areas:

• Multi-year budgeting
• Transparency, accountability, and oversight
• Civilian control over Afghan security institutions
• Force generation
• Force sustainment
• Strategic and policy planning
• Resource management and execution
• Intelligence and strategic communication


Through these efforts, NATO aimed to enhance Afghanistan’s security institutions, ensuring long-term stability and operational effectiveness.

Over the years, the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) played an active role in the Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan, contributing military personnel as follows:


• 2015 – 87 troops
• 2016 – 86 troops, plus an additional 40 troops as part of Contingent I in Herat, totaling 126 troops
• 2017 – 166 troops
• 2018 – 212 troops
• 2019 – 270 troops
• 2020 – 177 troops

The total contribution of the FARSH from July 2002 to June 15, 2021 is 4160 military personnel.

The mission was terminated in June 2021, following the Alliance's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan.

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