Britain Builds Training Camp for Pakistan's Paramilitary Forces in Baluchistan

Strategic Insights -

Britain is establishing a training camp for Pakistan's Frontier Corps (FC) in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, aimed at countering the Taliban presence around the border with southern Afghanistan. The camp, which will have a capacity to train 360 FC soldiers at a time, will be manned by 24 British army trainers and six American trainers. The training program, part of a joint initiative with the US, seeks to boost the capacity of the FC, a 60,000-strong paramilitary force that still patrols the Afghan border and is composed of Pashtun, Baluch, and other tribes living in the region.

Key Takeaways:

  • The training camp in Baluchistan will be a key component of the UK's effort to combat the Taliban presence in the region, with 24 British army trainers and six American trainers set to work at the camp.
  • The camp will have a capacity to train 360 FC soldiers at a time, with the British trainers providing conventional military training and the Americans funding and running the training.
  • The FC, a 60,000-strong paramilitary force, is a key player in the region and has played a significant role in the campaign against the Taliban, including this year's operation in the Swat region.
  • The training program is part of a joint initiative with the US, which has provided $43.8 million in equipment to the FC and has pledged to transfer the camp to the FC after three years.
  • The British budget for the Baluchistan camp is £12.6 million, and the US has set up a Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund to provide $1.1 billion for training and equipping counter-terrorist forces, including the FC.
  • The FC was founded by the Viceroy of India in 1907 and was recruited from Pashtun, Baluch, and other frontier tribes but trained and led mostly by British officers in search of adventure.

Statistics:

  • The training camp in Baluchistan will have a capacity to train 360 FC soldiers at a time.
  • The British trainers will stay on at the camp for three years, with the Americans funding and running the training.
  • The FC has a total strength of 60,000 soldiers.
  • The British budget for the Baluchistan camp is £12.6 million.
  • The US has provided $43.8 million in equipment to the FC and has pledged to transfer the camp to the FC after three years.
  • The US has set up a Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund to provide $1.1 billion for training and equipping counter-terrorist forces, including the FC, in 2009 and 2010.

Sources:

  • The Times
  • British High Commission in Islamabad
  • US officials
  • Pakistani government officials
  • The Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund