U.S. Clears The Way For Transferring Ex-Afghan Mi-17 Helicopters To Ukraine: Report
The U.S. approved the transfer of the ex-Afghan Mi-17s as fears grow that a new Russian invasion of Ukraine could come soon.
The U.S. approved the transfer of the ex-Afghan Mi-17s as fears grow that a new Russian invasion of Ukraine could come soon.
More Russian-built Mi-17 Hips and a number of smaller American-made MD 530F Little Birds that had belonged to the Afghan Air Force have been airlifted to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
There is immense pressure to keep ex-Afghan Air Force aircraft out of the hands of the Taliban.
Ex-Afghan Air Force personnel who escaped Afghanistan as the Taliban took control had found themselves virtual captives in Tajikistan.
Questions remain about the exact state of the aircraft and other materiel left behind, but the optics are still embarrassing for the United States.
Aircraft, vehicles, and at least two defense systems able to shoot down rockets and artillery shells are just some of what was not airlifted out.
Afghan pilots fled the country in the face of the advancing Taliban over the weekend. Now the fate of the aircraft is up in the air.
Authorities in Afghanistan have confirmed that an A-29 did crash in the northeastern portion of the country.
A new official report raises serious concerns about whether the new helicopters will actually hurt the Afghan military’s ability to operate.
The pilot used the weapon to avoid civilian casualties, but the NATO-led coalition continues to downplay the importance of this capability.