Afghanistan Military : Updates & Discussions

Ashwin

Ashwin

Agent_47
Staff member
Administrator
Nov 30, 2017
7,806
13,743
Bangalore
US prepares first Black Hawk deliveries to Afghanistan

p1707211-main.jpg


The United States is on course to deliver the first batch of four Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters to Afghanistan in the coming weeks.

NATO announced on its Resolute Support Facebook page on 15 August that, with the first aircraft now tested and ready for delivery, the remaining three of the first batch will all be ready for handover to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) by the end of September.

The announcement by NATO marks the latest milestone in an effort to transition the AAF’s rotary-winged air mobility capabilities over to the Black Hawk and so end the service’s reliance on Russian-made Mil Mi-17 'Hip' helicopters. In November 2016 it was disclosed by US Senator Richard Blumenthal that the US Department of Defense (DoD) will provide the AAF with 53 Black Hawks that are being transferred from US Army stocks and upgraded. A delivery timeline was not disclosed.

In its efforts to re-equip the Afghan armed forces, the central mantra of the US government has been that all equipment must be easy to maintain and support. As one senior US military official previously put it to Jane's, "One thing you have to remember is that none of these guys are cowards; they will fight [but the problem is that] they don't have the national [support] base [and] they don't have the industry. It is tough to get parts; it is tough to maintain things."

The Russian-built Mi-17 is renowned for being rugged and reliable, and so fit the bill perfectly. The AAF operates about 50 Mi-17s, with the Special Mission Wing (SMW) fielding about 30 more. These have been obtained from the Czech Republic, Russia, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom, and were funded largely by the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

US prepares first Black Hawk deliveries to Afghanistan | Jane's 360
 
US ISSUES $1.38 BILLION CONTRACT FOR 150 MD-530F FOR AFGHANISTAN

Afghan-MD-530F-01-MD-692x360.png


The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has issued a $1.38 billion U.S. contract to MD Helicopters for 150 MD-530F Cayuse Warrior lightweight scout helicopters for the Afghan Air Force (AAF).

In addition to the helicopters, the contract also includes “program management, delivery support, pilot training and maintenance” with a program completion date of August 31, 2022.

The MD-530F is a single-engine (Rolls-Royce 250-C30 with 650 shp) helicopter with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 1,496 kg. It has a useful load of 979 kg, maximum cruise speed of 203 km/h, range of 435 km and flight ceiling of 16,000 ft (MD Helicopters).

Afghanistan already operates the MD-530F as an armed scout. Its armament options include the M260 2.75″ Rocket Pod, FNH HMP400 gun pod with the M3P heavy machine gun, and M184 machine gun.

Notes & Comments:

The MD-530F transfer is part of a wider Pentagon initiative to revamp the AAF with U.S.-origin aircraft for counterinsurgency (COIN) and counter-terrorism (CT) operations, such as troop transport, logistics, close air support (CAS) and precision-guided strikes.

Gen. Phillip A. Stewart, the commander of TAAC-Air [Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air] told the Afghan news outlet TOLO News that the AAF will receive $7 billion in support over the next four years.

In November 2016, the DoD had announced that it will supplant the AAF’s legacy Russian Mi-17 transport helicopters with Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk utility helicopters. The UH-60As were to be drawn from surplus U.S. Army stocks and then refurbished and upgraded.

Specific changes have not been disclosed, but analysts expect the helicopters (designated UH-60A+) to use the General Electric (GE) T-700-GE-701C turboshaft engine, which powers the UH-60M (The Drive). The first batch of three UH-60A+ were being prepared for delivery in August (IHS Jane’s), the AAF is slated to receive 53 Black Hawk helicopters.

The AAF also operates 12 (of an eventual 20) Sierra Nevada A-29 Super Tucano CAS aircraft. Deliveries of the A-29 began in January 2016, with combat operations commencing in April of that year. Last July, the AAF requested to assume full responsibility for flight line maintenance for the A-29.

Despite the scale and focused vision of the Afghan armament effort, the U.S.-led program has drawn some criticism for various quarters, mainly for not arming the AAF in accordance with its realities.

For example, the MD-530F – when it was inducted in 2015 – itself was criticized by then AAF Col. Qalandar Shah Qalandari for being underpowered, ill-protected and under-armed for its intended role in the AAF, which was basically that of an attack helicopter. However, younger AAF officers appear to be content with the MD-530F (New York Times). The U.S. has tried equipping the AAF with affordable hardware that can readily be inducted, maintained and produce relatively strong operational gains in COIN and CT missions.

While the A-29 and MD-530F channels are seemingly progressing, the equipment program had suffered a sharp indictment in 2014 when a decision was made to scrap 16 AAF C-27A transport aircraft (worth $486 million) due to spare parts shortages (Reuters). Thus, platforms with limited market ubiquity and support run the risk of long-term failure in Afghanistan.

While the UH-60A+ is far from that risk (given that it has a significant number of users and a distributed – and growing – supply channel), there are concerns of how well AAF air and maintenance crew will fare maintaining the Black Hawk, which is more sophisticated than the Mi-17. Granted, such personnel can be trained organically from new recruits, but as the A-29 program shows, autonomous operation (without TAAC-Air support) is likely to be an objective for the long-term.

US issues $1.38 billion contract for 150 MD-530F for Afghanistan & FMS customers​
 
Afghanistan Helicopter/Light attack fleet is getting formidable.

80+ Mi-17 (May retire)
151 UH-60A+
150 MD 530F
20 A-29 Super Tuacno
10+ Mi-35 ( Expect more indian transfers when IAF receives Apache)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ironhide and Shashank
AC-208 Combat Caravan

Armed%20Caravan%20External.jpg


The AC-208 Combat Caravan offers a robust day/night intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solution now available with precision counterinsurgency, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities (ISR). It is easily convertible from “Clean Wing” ISR to armed operation with Hellfire Missiles.

Ownship targeting and weapons employment is provided via integrated targeting and fire control systems. Off-board data links provide full-motion video to ground stations or other aircraft.

Features
  • Orbital ATK's STAR Mission System, with the STAR Compact MPU, 18-inch Avedon color display and integrated fire-control system
  • MX-15D EO/IR sensor with integrated laser designator and IMU
  • AGM-114M/K Missile (other weapons coming soon)
  • Wing Hardpoint Installation Missile Pylon Integration
  • AAR-47/ALE-47 Defensive Countermeasures System
  • Ballistic panels for cockpit and passenger protection
  • BMS A/G and A/A data link (other data links available)
  • VHF/UHF communications
  • Cockpit tactical displays
Orbital ATK receives $69.4M for Afghan air force AC-208 light aircraft​
 
DKBJVYRWkAAhG0W.jpg


DKBJVZxW0AEpJxa.jpg


The first Afghan Air Force UH-60s arrived today in Kandahar. They will help further develop a capable and sustainable AAF​
 
India is planning to buy aircraft from other countries for Afghan forces

In a bid to bolster Afghanistan's air capabilities, India is considering buying several second-hand Russian-made Mi35s for the Afghan National Defence Security Forces (ANDSF) from other countries, a move that signals closer cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow on Afghanistan, Indian and Afghan officials confirmed to The Hindu.
The proposal comes after a request from the Ghani government, including during a visit to Delhi by Afghanistan's National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar in October, and follows several visits to Moscow by Indian officials to discuss the logistics.
An Indian Defence Ministry team is also expected to travel to an East European country, possibly Serbia or Ukraine, that still operate Soviet-era aircraft, and an Afghan defence team is expected in Delhi "shortly" to follow up on the discussions, a diplomat said.
Officials also said that there was heightened urgency for the helicopter transaction, as all seven of the old Mi-25/35 attack helicopters and Cheetal utility helicopters transferred by New Delhi to Kabul in 2015-2016, have been grounded and need repairs.
Asked about the proposal, Afghanistan's Ambassador to India Shaida Mohammad Abdali said that he was "looking forward" to closer India-Russia cooperation that will benefit Afghanistan.
“The Afghan forces are in a much better situation now and things will happen soon to help with the transition process [from Soviet-era to U.S. hardware]. India has been very helpful to fill the gap that exists for helicopters, as well as in getting the existing aircraft off the ground.”
The helicopters and the promise to repair hardware for the ANDSF is part of a larger strategic tightrope India is walking, given traditional ties with Russia, and increasingly close ties with the United States as a part of U.S. President Donald Trump's South Asia policy.
Effectively the plan will see New Delhi cooperating with Russia on military support for Afghanistan, with the U.S. on development support, and with Iran on trade cooperation for goods to Afghanistan.
India is already training military officers including a batch of women officers at its military academies, and Afghan officials said they are hopeful that India would scale up the training for more "strategic-level" officers, as well as training the Medical corps of the ANDSF.
Afghanistan is in the midst of a full transition from its old hardware, and Soviet–era generals, to U.S. hardware, and a next-generation NATO-model Army by 2022.
By 2019, the ANDSF will begin to receive the first of a total 159 American Black Hawk helicopters, and the Mi-35 (Hind) series India is procuring will be integral to anti-terror operations in the country in the interim period.

Finding used copters for Kabul
 
The Taliban attempted to fly a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Footage of an attempt to control an American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in Afghanistan has been published. The Taliban reportedly attempted to learn how to fly a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

 
Despite the impressive arsenal of military equipment remaining after the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban restored and displayed Soviet military equipment. The military equipment is reportedly located at one of the storage bases near Herat. The video shows Soviet tanks T-55, T-62M, armored vehicles BMP-1 and BMP-2, as well as American tracked armored personnel carriers M-113. It is unknown how combat-ready the equipment really is, but outwardly it is in order and can move.

 
The 3rd Taliban Border Guard Regiment in Nimroz conducted military exercises using heavy weapons left behind by the US Army after the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The Taliban also have Soviet equipment, we showed it earlier, but in the exercises we used US-made equipment. The exercises used M1117 armored vehicles, HMMWV armored vehicles, M2HB machine gun, M4A1 carbines, M24 sniper rifle, M249 machine guns, M16A2/M16A4 rifles and other weapons. The exercise was conducted by professional instructors in the city of Zaranj, Nimroz province. The exercise is being carried out by the Taliban as "tensions" rise between Iranian and Taliban border guards in Nimroz province amid disputes over water. The purpose of the military exercises is to improve the military experience of the Taliban forces.

 
The Taliban marked the third anniversary of their rise to power with a military parade at the former US air base in Bagram, Afghanistan. It is worth noting that despite expanding diplomatic contacts with Russia, China, Central Asian and Middle Eastern states, the Taliban remain unrecognized in the world and are not represented in the UN. The parade featured American, Russian and other countries' military equipment. The parade featured Soviet T-55 and T-62M tanks, American HMMWV M1152 and MaxxPro armored vehicles. M113, M577, M1117, BMP-1 and BMP-2 armored personnel carriers. D-30, D-44 and M114 towed artillery. Grad MLRS. The Taliban's airborne part of the parade was represented by Mi-24, Mi-17V-5, UH-60 and MD-530F helicopters. Also on display were Cessna AC-2008, Cessna 208 and other military equipment. The parade in Bagram was attended by approximately 10,000 people, including senior Taliban officials.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom