German Government Gives Mandate For Syria Mission

The German government on Dec. 1 decided the mandate of German military support for the international coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State (IS).

Under the mandate, which is expected to be approved by the Bundestag, the German parliament, soon, up to 1,200 personnel will provide support in the form of aerial refueling, reconnaissance, naval escort and headquarters staff.

Aerial refueling will be provided by Luftwaffe Airbus A310 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT).

SAR Lupe satellites and soon Tornado Recce aircraft will track cross-border movements and gauge the size of the IS operational area and its sphere of influence, according to the German Ministry of Defense.

A German navy frigate with around 200 crew members will join the international task force escorting France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the eastern Mediterranean.

According to the German Ministry of Defense, the legal basis for German participation in the anti-IS coalition includes the UN Charter's collective security article and several Security Council resolutions, including the one passed Nov. 20 on combating IS, plus the collective security article of the EU treaty, which was invoked by France following the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris.