| Afghan Air Force | |
|---|---|
C-27A military transport aircraft of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) |
|
| Active | 1924–present |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Allegiance | Afghan National Army |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Size | ~100 aircraft[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Maj. Gen. Abdul Wahab Wardak |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel | |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Mi-35 |
| Trainer | C182T, C208B, L-39C, MD 530F |
| Transport | C-27A, C208B, Mi-8/17 |
The Afghan Air Force (AAF), formerly the Afghan National Army Air Corps or the Afghan National Army Air Force (ANA Air Force), is a branch of the military of Afghanistan that is responsible for air defense and air warfare.[2][3] Major General Abdul Wahab Wardak is the current Commander of the Afghan Air Force, replacing Mohammad Dawran.[4] The Kabul International Airport serves as its main headquarters while the Shindand Air Base serves as the main training facility.
The Afghan Air Force was established in 1924 under the rule of King Amanullah Khan and upgraded by King Zahir Shah in the 1960s. During the 1980s, the Soviet Union built up the "Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Air Force", first in an attempt to defeat the mujahideen-led insurgency and, by the end of the decade, in hopes that a strong Afghan air power would preserve the pro-Soviet government of Najibullah. The collapse of Najibullah's government in 1992 and the continuation of a civil war throughout the 1990s reduced the number of Afghan aircraft to less than a dozen. During Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001, in which the Taliban government was ousted from power, only a few helicopters remained of the Afghan Air Force.
Since 2007, the US-led, international Combined Air Power Transition Force (CAPTF) has worked to rebuild and modernize the Afghan Air Force. The CAPTF serves as the air component of the US-led, international Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan which is responsible for rebuilding the Afghan armed forces.[5] The AAF currently has about 100 aircraft and around 5,000 active personell, which is expected to grow and become advanced by 2015 with the assistance of NATO.
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The history of the Afghan air service began on 22 August 1924 as the Afghan Air Force. As early as 1921, the Soviet Union and Great Britain provided a small number of aircraft to Afghanistan's King Amanullah Khan who had been impressed with the British use of aircraft against his government in 1919. For the next decade, Soviet pilots performed the bulk of the flying of Afghan aircraft, probably about one-half of which were Polikarpov R-1s, a Soviet copy of the de Havilland DH.9A. Most Afghan aircraft were destroyed in the civil war that began in December 1928, and it was 1937 before a serious rebuilding effort began. From the late 1930s until World War Two, British Hawker Hind and Italian IMAM Ro.37 aircraft constituted the bulk of the small Afghan air service, which by 1938 amounted to about 30 planes in service.[6] The Hawker Hind remained in the Afghan inventory until 1957, and as of 2009 one former Afghan Air Force Hawker Hind still flew in the Shuttleworth Collection. In 1947, the air arm was redesignated the Royal Afghan Air Force, a title it retained until further political upheaval in 1973.[7]
By 1960, the Afghan air force consisted of approximately 100 combat aircraft including MiG-15 fighters, Il-28 light bombers, transports, and a few helicopters.[8] Also by that time, a small number of Afghan pilots were undergoing undergraduate pilot training in the United States; others attended training in the Soviet Union, India, and several European countries. In the 1973 "bloodless" coup, King Zahir Shah was deposed and Mohammed Daoud Khan became the country's president. During his five years in power, until the Communist coup of 1978, Daoud relied on Soviet assistance to upgrade the capabilities and increase the size of the Afghan air force, introducing newer-models of Soviet-built MiG-21 fighters and An-24 and An-26 transports. Improvements in the early-to-mid-1970s notwithstanding, the Afghan air arm remained relatively small until after the 1979-80 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. While Afghanistan's air force was equipped with a large inventory - probably some 400 aircraft in the mid-1980s - many of them were manned and maintained by "advisors" from Czechoslovakia and Cuba. In many cases, the Soviets were reluctant to entrust Afghan pilots with either the latest aircraft models or high priority missions and, indeed, a number of Afghan pilots were equally reluctant to conduct air strikes against their countrymen.[9]
The Afghan air force was at its strongest in the 1980s and early 1990s, producing some concern on the part of neighboring countries. The air service had at least 7,000 personnel plus 5,000 foreign advisors. At its peak, the air force had at least 240 fixed-wing combat aircraft (fighters, fighter-bombers, light bombers), 150 helicopters, and perhaps 40 or more Antonov transports of various models. Midway through the Soviet-Afghan war, one estimate of Afghan air power listed the following inventory:
Additionally, the Afghan air force probably operated some 40 or more transports, including the An-26, An-24, and An-2.[13] Another estimate in 1988 painted a more detailed picture of the Afghan Air Force:[14]
After the Soviet withdrawal and the departure of foreign advisors, the air force declined in terms of operational capability. With the collapse of the Najibullah Government in 1992, the air service ceased to be a single entity, instead breaking up amongst the different mujahideen factions in the ongoing civil war. By the end of the 1990s, the military of the Taliban maintained five supersonic MIG-21MFs and 10 Sukhoi-22 fighter-bombers.[15] They also held six Mil Mi-8 helicopters, five Mi-35s, five L-39Cs, six An-12s, 25 An-26s, a dozen An-24/32s, a IL-18, and a Yakovlev.[16] The Afghan Northern Alliance/United Front operated a small number of helicopters and transports and a few other aircraft for which it depended on assistance from neighboring Tajikistan. With the breakdown of logistical systems, the cannibalization of surviving airframes was widespread. The US/Coalition operations in the fall of 2001 destroyed most of the remaining Afghan aircraft. It was 2005 before a US-led, international effort began to rebuild the Afghan air service; since 2007, the pace has increased significantly under the auspices of the Combined Air Power Transition Force.[17]
The Mil Mi-24 and Mi-35 (export model) attack helicopters have a long history in Afghanistan. The aircraft was operated extensively during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, mainly for attacking Afghan mujahideen fighters. Early in the war, both Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters proved vulnerable to mujahideen ground fire, especially the SA-7, a Soviet-built, man-portable, heat-seeking, surface-to-air missile.
Beginning in 1986, the US supplied the mujahideen with its state-of-the-art heat-seeking missile, the Stinger, which the Afghans employed with devastating effect. In the first use of the Stinger in Afghanistan, mujahideen fighters downed three of eight unsuspecting Soviet Mi-24 Hinds as they approached the airfield at Jalalabad on a late September afternoon. Some scholars point to that event in 1986 as the turning point in the war. Moreover, for most of the remainder of the war when Stingers were known to be present, Soviet and Afghan aircraft elected to remain at higher altitudes where they were less vulnerable to the missile, but also less effective in ground attacks. Although employed extensively throughout the war as a ground attack platform, the Hind suffered from a weak tail boom and was found to be underpowered for some missions it was called upon to perform in the mountains of Afghanistan, where high density altitude is especially problematic for rotary-wing aircraft.[18]
Overall, the Hind proved effective and very reliable, earning the respect of both Soviet and Afghan pilots as well as ordinary Afghans throughout the country. The mujahideen nicknamed the Mi-24 the "Devil's Chariot" due to its notorious reputation. Since the end of the Soviet-Afghan war, the civil war of the 1990s, and the post-11 September 2001 US/Coalition operations, the Afghan Air Force (AAF) is again operating the Hind, the export version of which is designated the Mi-35. As of August 2009, the Mi-35 provided the AAF's only ground attack capability and achieved initial operational capability.[19]
For the first time in over two decades Afghanistan has began training new pilots. In January 2008, President Hamid Karzai said that his country's air force had been reborn after inaugurating its new headquarters at Kabul International Airport freshly equipped with new aircraft. The military had received 26 new and refurbished aircraft, including Czech-donated helicopter gunships. With United States funding the Afghan government had also acquired transport helicopters and a number of Ukrainian military planes. The newly boosted air force remained preliminary a formal part of the army.[20] Under a partnering relationship between the US-led, international NATO Air Training Command (NATC-A) and the AAF, Afghan air power is being rebuilt on several fronts:
The recently-opened North Kabul International Airport cantonment area includes the new headquarters for the Afghan Air Force and 201st Kabul Air Wing. The wing's three operational squadrons, one fixed-wing, one rotary-wing, and the Presidential Airlift Squadron, are housed there. The cantonment area includes state-of-the-art hangars as well as operations, logistics, billeting, dining, and recreational facilities. Additionally, extensive AAF facilities are in-progress at Kandahar International Airport.
A number of Afghan pilots and pilot-candidates traveled to the United States beginning in May 2009 for English language training, to be followed by instrument training for the pilots and undergraduate pilot training for the pilot-candidates. This was the start of an initiative that within the next several years should produce a small cadre of seasoned, instrument-rated Afghan Air Force pilots as well as a larger number of younger, well-trained pilots who will serve as the backbone of the Afghan air service for the next generation. Other NATC-A-led programs include English language and technical courses for AAF personnel in various specialties including aircraft maintenance, logistics, communications, and engineering. As of June 2009, the Air Force numbered about 2,400 personnel, with a planned strength of 7,400 members within several years.[21]
In September 2009, the AAF began receiving refurbished C-27A Spartan tactical transports and Mi-17V5 Hip transport helicopters. In June 2010 the Afghan National Army Air Corps was officially renamed back to the Afghan Air Force by order of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.[3] Also in the same year, a number of female trainers completed their courses and were commissioned as lieutenants. Many more are being trained as the number of the AAF increases.
As of March 2011, the Afghan Air Force (AAF) had 44 rotary-wing and 13 fixed-wing aircraft in serviceable condition. By the end of 2011, AAF possesses 20 Spartans and 35 of the new Hips while continuing to operate the older Mi-17s and retiring the An-32 fleet. Further growth of the AAF may depend on decisions yet to be made regarding the size of the Afghan National Army which, in turn, will determine AAF requirements. In a country of rugged terrain possessing limited ground transportation options, the Afghan armed forces depends heavily upon AAF fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft for airlift of soldiers and supplies between Corps operating locations, medical and casualty evacuation, and transport of human remains. The Afghan government also relied on the AAF for transportation of election materials during the 2009 presidential election. Although presently the Mi-35s provide a ground attack capability, a decision is expected soon on the purchase of a light attack/trainer fixed-wing aircraft for the AAF. It was announced in October 2011 that the military of Afghanistan would be provided with 145 multi-type aircraft and 21 helicopters.[22] By the end of 2011, the Afghan Air Force had a total of 4,900 airmen and personnel.
Future training to be undertaken at AFF Shindand air wing at the Shindand Air Base in western Afghanistan. The base which has been refurbished and expanded by ISAF which tripled its size. A new 1.3 mile training runway is to begin construction in 2012.[23] The seven candidates are all graduates of the National Military Academy of Afghanistan of Initial Officer Training held in the United Kingdom and have also undertaken English language training in the Kabul English Language Training Center. Students will be trained in both fixed wing aircraft, namely the Cesna 182T and 208B and in rotary wing aircraft, the MD 530F.[24] About 6 MD 530F helicopters were delivered to Shindand in late 2011. The four year contract could see as many as 54 other helicopters being supplied to the AAF.[25]
The Afghan air arm deteriorated following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and collapse of the Najibullah Government in 1992, and it was nearly eliminated by US/Coalition air strikes in 2001. Especially since 2007, the redesignated Afghan National Army Air Corps has been gradually increasing its aircraft inventory, personnel, and operational capabilities, the result of extensive partnering with the US-led, international Combined Air Power Transition Force.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | In service[26] | Versions | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Mil Mi-24 | Soviet Union | Attack helicopter | 9 | Mi-35 | Afghan National Army Air Corps originally received 15 Mi-35, currently 9 operational. | |
| Mil Mi-17 | Russia | Medium-lift & gunship helicopter | 65 (all variants) | Mi-17DV
Mi-17v5 Mi-8 |
12 more Mi-17v5 to be delivered to the Afghan Air Force by the end of 2012. [27] | |
| MD Helicopters MD 500 | United States | Light utility and helicopter trainer | 6 | MD 530F | 54 additional helicopters may be added to the inventory over a 4 year contract.[28][29] | |
| Transports | ||||||
| Aeritalia G.222 | Italy/ United States | Tactical transport | 14 | C-27A | 20 purchased by the US from Italy. Deliveries began in November 2009[30] The remaining aircraft is to be delivered over the next 2-3 years. Two of which is used for VIP purposes. | |
| Cessna 208 Caravan | United States | Light transport/ Advanced fixed-wing trainer | 6 | C208B | 20 remaining to be delivered. | |
| Trainer Aircraft | ||||||
| Aero L-39 Albatros | Czech Republic | Jet trainer | 3 | L-39C | To be replaced in the year 2013 by 20 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano. [31] | |
| Cessna 182 | United States | Elementary trainer | 6 | C182T | 6 delivered in September 2011.[32] | |
| Base | Operator | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shindand Air Base (OASD) | Afghan Air Force/U.S. Air Force - | Shindand is the second largest military airbase in the country, located just south of Herat with significant military aircraft shelters and facilities. Its location made it a prime candidate as a training base for the ANAAC. |
| Bagram Airfield (OAIX) | U.S. Air Force - | Bagram is the largest all military air base in Afghanistan. It is currently a primary center for United States and allied forces for cargo, helicopter, and support flights. Built by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, it has a 3,000-meter runway capable of handling heavy bomber and cargo aircraft. |
| Kabul International Airport (OAKB) | ISAF (Belgian Army - ) | Kabul is the nation's largest, and a dual-use, airport and the primary hub for international civilian flights. The North Kabul International Airport cantonment area serves as the home of the Air Corps and includes state-of-the-art hangar facilities, Air Corps and 201st Kabul Air Wing headquarters, as well as operations, logistics, billeting, dining, and recreational facilities. |
| Kandahar International Airport (OAKN) | ISAF (U.S. Air Force - ) | Built by the US around 1960, Kandahar is a dual-use airport serving civilian traffic to Kandahar and military support for the southern and central portions of the country. Kandahar has been a major center for American and Canadian forces and in mid-2009 was undergoing a major build-up of US/Coalition forces. |
| Herat Airport (OAHR) | U.S. Air Force - United States | Herat is the primary civil airport for the western portion of the country, but also houses military aircraft. |
| Mazar-i-Sharif Airport (OAMS) | ISAF (German Army - Germany) / Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation - | Mazar-i-Sharif is a dual-use airport serving the northern and central portions of the country. A small American contingent has been based there. |
| Sheberghan Airfield (OASG) | Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation - | Sheberghan is a medium-sized civilian airport in the northeast of the country. |
| Bastion (OAZI) | ISAF (British Armed Forces - United Kingdom) | In Helmand Province, with 3500 x 46 m concrete/asphalt. |
A number of smaller airfields exist in the country, including:
| City served | Province | ICAO | IATA | Airport name | Runway | Elev. (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major domestic airports | ||||||
| Jalalabad | Nangarhar | OAJL | JAA | Jalalabad Airport | 13/31: 2218 x 45 m, Asphalt | 553 |
| Kunduz | Kunduz | OAUZ | UND | Kunduz Airport | 11/29: 2007 x 45 m, Asphalt | 448 |
| Regional domestic airports | ||||||
| Bamyan | Bamyan | OABN | BIN | Bamyan Airport | 07/25: 2595 x 23 m, Gravel | 2591 |
| Lashkar Gah | Helmand | OABT | BST | Bost Airport | 18/36: 2332 x 45 m, Asphalt | 751 |
| Chaghcharan | Ghor | OACC | CCN | Chaghcharan Airport | 06/24: 1524 x 18 m, Gravel | 2276 |
| Darwaz | OADZ | DAZ | Darwaz Airport | 09/27: 654 x 32 m, Gravel | 1533 | |
| Fayzabad | Badakhshan | OAFZ | FBD | Fayzabad Airport | 18/36: 1691 x 27 m, PSP | 1171 |
| Farah | Farah | OAFR | FAH | Farah Airport | 15/33: 2042 x 21 m, Gravel | 692 |
| Khost | Khost | OAKS | KHT | Khost Airfield | 06/24: 2684 x 105 m, Gravel | 1172 |
| Khwahan | Badakhshan | OAHN | KWH | Khwahan Airport | ??/??: 671 x ? m, Gravel | 980 |
| Kron Monjan | OARZ | KUR | Razer Airport | ??/??: 884 x ? m, Gravel | ? | |
| Maymana | Faryab | OAMN | MMZ | Maymana Airport | 14/32: 1287 x 18 m, Gravel | 820 |
| Qala i Naw | Badghis | OAQN | LQN | Qala i Naw Airport | 04/22: 1158 x 18 m, Asphalt | 905 |
| Sheberghan | Jowzjan | OASG | Sheberghan Airport | 06L/24R: 2621 x 24, Asphalt 06R/24L: 2115 x 30, Gravel |
321 | |
| Sheghnan | Badakhshan | OASN | SGA | Sheghnan Airport | 16/34: 803 x 30 m, Gravel | 2042 |
| Taloqan | Takhar | OATQ | TQN | Taloqan Airport | 16/34: 1574 x 35 m, Gravel | 816 |
| Tarin Kowt | Orūzgān | OATN | TII | Tarin Kowt Airport | 10/28: 1658 x 61 m, Gravel | 1350 |
| Zaranj | Nimruz | OAZJ | ZAJ | Zaranj Airport | 16/34: 2320 x 47 m, Gravel | 479 |
| Sardeh Band | OADS | SBF | Sardeh Band Airport | 02/20: 2104 m, Gravel | 2125 |
During its first incarnation, Afghan aircraft carried simple black and white depictions of the Muslim arms of Afghanistan, with the inscription 'God is great' on the underside of the wings. The Afghan flag was possibly used as well. Afghanistan adopted a black, red, and green flag after the 1929 revolt, and when the air force was given planes again in 1937, it placed this flag on the rudder, and adopted wing and fuselage roundels based on the three colors.
The Royal Afghan Air Force retained the roundels until adopting a new style in 1967, with a unique insignia consisting of a tri-color triangle using the national colors upon a white disc, on which was inscribed with Arabic lettering forming various phrases. This roundel was placed on the rudder in place of the flag. This remained in use after the overthrow of the monarchy until the Russian invasion in 1979, when a new insignia of a red disc with yellow inscriptions was adopted. This was short-lived however, as in 1983, a more Soviet-standard red star on a white disc ringed in black, red, and green was adopted. These were maintained until after the Soviet departure.
Upon the departure of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, and the fall of the communist government, a return to the triangle insignia was noted, although markings varied depending on the ownership of the aircraft.
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