Military Times: The U.S. has been transitioning Afghanistan’s air force from a fleet of Soviet-era Mi-17 helicopters to the U.S.-made UH-60 Black Hawks since 2017, but recruiting, training and sustainment challenges plague the program. The Black Hawk shipments are part of the Afghan Air Force’s modernization initiative. Click here to read more (external link).
The New York Times: Eleven years after the United States began building an air force for Afghanistan at a cost now nearing $8 billion, it remains a frustrating work in progress, with no end in sight. Some aviation experts say the Afghans will rely on American maintenance and other support for years. Such dependence could complicate
VOA News | December 13, 2018: The Afghan ministry of defense Wednesday released footage of a series of nighttime airstrikes carried out by Afghan security forces. Afghan officials told VOA the airstrikes were carried out in southern Uruzgan province against Taliban hideouts. The recent strikes mark the first time U.S.-trained Afghan pilots are carrying out airstrikes
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty October 5, 2018 Afghan officials said at least four civilians were mistakenly killed when the Afghan Air Force carried out an air strike targeting Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan. Abdul Raziq, the police chief of Kandahar Province, said the Taliban had mounted an attack in the Maroof district when security forces
The Drive: The estimated annual sustainment costs alone are more than twice what the U.S. Air Force pays to operate a squadron of F-16s for a year – The U.S. military recently awarded the Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, a deal worth over $1.8 billion dollars to support and grow the Afghan Air Force’s fleet
MOSCOW, September 2 (Sputnik) – A military helicopter crashed Sunday in an Afghan military base in the country’s northern province of Balkh, with some people feared to be dead, local media reported. The incident occurred at 7:30 a.m. local time (03:30 GMT), which was confirmed by spokesman for the 209th Shaheen Corps Mohammad Hanif Rezaie,
ABC (Australia): “We’ve found the Afghans have been extremely competent at the tactical level, whether that’s flying planes, building bombs or spinning spanners,” [Australian] Squadron Leader Tim White said. “It’s that next level up though, which is what western nations like Australia have had the opportunity to do over a number of years,” he said. He
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan July 20, 2018 At least 14 people, including women and children, have been killed in an Afghan-U.S. air strike near the northern city of Kunduz, officials say. Afghan officials said it was still unclear whether the casualties had been caused by Afghan or U.S. aircraft, both of which flew missions in
WASHINGTON, June 27 (Sputnik) – The Afghan Air Force has launched 38 self-defense airstrikes against the Taliban since a ceasefire took place on June 11, Resolute Support mission Brig. Gen. Lance Bunch said in a press briefing from Afghanistan on Wednesday. “There have been 38 instances where the Afghan Air Force has been airborne and
Bloomberg: “Black Hawks do not have the lift capability” of the Russian aircraft, [Pentagon Inspector] Fine wrote. The helicopters also “are unable to accommodate some of the larger cargo items the Mi-17 can carry, and in general it takes almost two Black Hawks to carry the load of a single Mi-17,” [Pentagon Inspector] Fine said. “Unlike