3 replies to this topic

[SUPARCO]

Afghans ‘concerned’ over airforce as NATO pulls out
Monday, May 28, 2012

KABUL: Afghanistan’s defence ministry has expressed concern over the slow pace of developing its airforce ahead of a scheduled withdrawal of NATO troops and equipment, the government said on Sunday.

More than a dozen transport aircraft provided to the Afghan airforce by the United States have been grounded because of age, a lack of spares and safety problems, President Hamid Karzai’s office said in a statement. The issue was raised at a security meeting which was told that the defence ministry was “concerned over the slow pace of reviving the country’s air force” and wanted the US to “intensify its efforts for that end”.

As part of its exit strategy from the Afghan war, the US is helping Kabul build its airforce before most air support from NATO forces is withdrawn along with 130,000 troops by the end of 2014. Fifteen C-27 transport aircraft supposed to provide support to the Afghan army and deliver humanitarian aid had been grounded for two years, defence ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi said.

“The planes were made in Italy, they are old and were out of the Italian fleet before they were given to Afghanistan,” Azimi said. Air transport is critical in Afghanistan, where the road network is underdeveloped and targeted by insurgent bombings, while strike aircraft are a vital part of the war against Taliban insurgents.

The US Air Force announced last month that it was reopening a contest for a contract to build 20 light attack aircraft for Afghanistan after the cancellation of an award to Brazil’s Embraer two months earlier. But a final decision for the contract will not be made before early 2013, the Air Force said in a statement, with the first planes due to be delivered in the second half of 2014.

The new schedule will mean “a delay of about 15 months” from original plans, before the Air Force called off the award, the statement said. afp

http://dailytimes.co...8-5-2012_pg14_3


Salaam,

947 days to go until January 1, 2015.

Salaam

[SUPARCO]

Afghan helicopter crash kills two NATO soldiers
Tuesday, May 29, 2012

KABUL: Two NATO soldiers died when their helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, the military said, taking the NATO death toll to 10 in three days.

“The cause of the crash is under investigation, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash,” the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said. ISAF did not reveal the nationalities of the victims.

Another NATO aircraft crashed during routine operations in eastern Afghanistan earlier on Monday with no fatalities, the military said separately. Taliban insurgents claimed in text messages to journalists that they had shot down two NATO helicopters.

In the south, an ISAF soldier also died on Monday “following an insurgent attack”, the alliance said On Sunday, three troops were killed while on Saturday four died in separate bomb blasts in the south. The latest deaths take the toll among NATO troops in Afghanistan this year to 175 and the total in 10 years of war to 3,022, according to an AFP count based on records kept by icasualties.org.

NATO has some 130,000 troops in Afghanistan but they will withdraw by the end of 2014, leaving the fight against Taliban insurgents to Afghan forces.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks across the country since announcing the start of their spring offensive at the beginning of May. But NATO deaths so far this year are down compared to the same period last year.

In April 2011, for example, 51 NATO soldiers were killed compared to 39 in April 2012. afp

http://dailytimes.co...ry_29-5-2012_pg7_7

[GreenBeret]

PAF better sell all its F-16's to afghanistan.

[tallyho]

SUPARCO, on 28 May 2012 - 05:08 PM, said:

Afghan helicopter crash kills two NATO soldiers
Tuesday, May 29, 2012

KABUL: Two NATO soldiers died when their helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, the military said, taking the NATO death toll to 10 in three days.

“The cause of the crash is under investigation, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash,” the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said. ISAF did not reveal the nationalities of the victims.

Another NATO aircraft crashed during routine operations in eastern Afghanistan earlier on Monday with no fatalities, the military said separately. Taliban insurgents claimed in text messages to journalists that they had shot down two NATO helicopters.

In the south, an ISAF soldier also died on Monday “following an insurgent attack”, the alliance said On Sunday, three troops were killed while on Saturday four died in separate bomb blasts in the south. The latest deaths take the toll among NATO troops in Afghanistan this year to 175 and the total in 10 years of war to 3,022, according to an AFP count based on records kept by icasualties.org.

NATO has some 130,000 troops in Afghanistan but they will withdraw by the end of 2014, leaving the fight against Taliban insurgents to Afghan forces.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks across the country since announcing the start of their spring offensive at the beginning of May. But NATO deaths so far this year are down compared to the same period last year.

In April 2011, for example, 51 NATO soldiers were killed compared to 39 in April 2012. afp

http://dailytimes.co...ry_29-5-2012_pg7_7

    Afghan Air Force??? What Afghan Air Force. I was looking after Afghan Air Force cell in ISI back in 1970 and I suppose they had more fighters then---even though just the Migs. I don't know if they have any now except the transport aircraft used mostly to haul opium from Asfghanistan to US.