Editing Defence Forces of Georgia (section)

== International cooperation ==
[[File:Exercise Noble Partner 20 Load Up.jpg|thumb|338x338px|[[Medical evacuation|MEDEVAC]] training with the US Army [[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk|UH-60L]] helicopter during exercise Noble Partner 20.]]
[[File:Noble Partner 2017 (36459634845).jpg|thumb|246x246px|A Bradley IFV from US Army Armored Regiment (Iron Knights) maneuvers across Vaziani Military Base for Noble Partner 17.]]
The Georgian Defence Forces frequently have large scale military drills involving heavy armor and parachute units with their NATO counterparts on Georgian soil to increase interoperability.

=== Peacekeeping missions ===
{{Main article|Role of Georgia in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Role of Georgia in the Iraq War}}

About 200 Georgian troops were deployed in the Kosovo ([[Kosovo Force|KFOR]]) in 1999–2008, 70 were deployed in Iraq ([[Operation Iraqi Freedom|OIF]]) in 2003 and 50 in Afghanistan in 2004 ([[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]]). From 2004 in Iraq were 300 Georgian troops. From 2005 approximately 850 troops were serving under Coalition Command ([[Operation Iraqi Freedom|OIF]] and [[United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq|UNAMI]]). In July 2007 Georgia sent an extra 1,400 troops to [[Iraq]]; that brought the total number of troops in Iraq to 2,000. About 300 of these troops were assigned to Taskforce Petro and stationed at COP Cleary outside the town of Wahida near Salman Pak, Iraq. On 8 August 2008 Georgia announced it will withdraw 1,000 troops from Iraq due to rising hostilities with Russia. Their preparedness and training skills are evaluated on highest level by international experts. The entire Iraq contingent has been airlifted back to Georgia.

Hence, owing to participation in international [[peacekeeping]] missions the military members are able to obtain practical experience and to show readiness to cooperate with [[NATO]] and with other partner countries' forces.

Currently there are more than 1,570 Georgian combat troops  deployed in [[Helmand]], [[Afghanistan]] where Georgia has thus far suffered 22 deaths and over a hundred injuries.<ref>[http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=23895 Tenth Georgia Soldier Killed in Afghanistan] Retrieved: 1 September 2011</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Seth Robson |url=http://www.stripes.com/news/u-s-training-a-dual-mission-for-georgians-1.136920 |title=U.S. training a dual mission for Georgians |publisher=Stripes.com |access-date=2011-06-13}}</ref> In September 2012, Georgia stated that it would continue its contributions in Afghanistan following the 2014 NATO withdrawal.<ref>[http://www.armyrecognition.com/september_2012_new_army_military_defence_industry/georgia_will_continue_its_contribution_for_nato_mission_in_afghanistan_in_post-2014_period_1009122.html Georgia keeps helping Afghanistan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402205743/http://www.armyrecognition.com/september_2012_new_army_military_defence_industry/georgia_will_continue_its_contribution_for_nato_mission_in_afghanistan_in_post-2014_period_1009122.html |date=2015-04-02 }} – Armyrecognition.com, 10 September 2012</ref>

In November 2012, Georgia had doubled the number of troops deployed to fight with Nato-led forces in Afghanistan to over 1,500. Georgia has 1,570 troops serving there, making the small Caucasus country of 4.5 million people the largest non-Nato contributor to the Afghanistan mission.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.khaama.com/georgia-doubles-number-of-troops-in-afghanistan-1040 |title=Georgia doubles number of troops in Afghanistan |publisher=Khaama Press (KP), Afghan Online Newspaper |date=28 November 2012}}</ref>

Since 2014 Georgia has contributed 140 troops to the [[EUFOR RCA]] peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, Georgia also contributes its military units to Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.[[File:Georgian Army - Operations abroad since 1991.png|thumb|Operations abroad since 1991.|left|358x358px]]
[[File:GeorgianArmy.jpg|thumb|Georgian troops listening to a speech in Baghdad, Iraq|254x254px]][[File:Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili Visits Camp Leatherneck 2013 09.jpg|thumb|Georgian soldiers in Camp Leatherneck|center|238x238px]]