Taliban seized a large number of US-made fighters, US media: don’t worry about falling into the hands of China and Russia

Original title: Taliban seized a large number of US-made fighters, US media hype: Don’t worry about related technologies falling into the hands of China and Russia

　　[环球网报道 记者 徐璐明]The Taliban occupied many air bases in Afghanistan and seized a large number of Afghan Air Force fighters and weapons. The US media began to worry about whether they would fly these American and Russian fighters to fight. They also hyped that there is no need to worry about Afghanistan’s American fighters and their technologies falling into China and Russia. Hands. .

US “Defense News” reported on August 18 that after the Taliban took control of Kandahar Airport on Friday, Taliban personnel and American-made “Black Hawk” helicopters and Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters soon appeared on social media. Waiting for photos of military helicopters. After the Taliban occupied Mazar-e-Sharif Airport last weekend, more group photos followed. This time it was Taliban personnel standing next to the A-29 attack aircraft and the MD-530 helicopter. The question now is no longer whether the Taliban can obtain US-made fixed-wing fighters and helicopters equipped by the Afghan Air Force, but how they plan to dispose of these fighters and how the US military will respond.

According to reports, a report issued by Afghan officials in July showed that as of June 30, the Afghan Air Force had 211 fighters, of which about 167 were available for use. So far, the U.S. Department of Defense has not confirmed how many planes have been seized by the Taliban, how many of them can be used, and how many have been driven to neighboring countries by Afghan pilots. At the Pentagon meeting held on August 16, Major General Hank Taylor of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff in charge of logistical affairs stated that he did not know whether the U.S. military would take measures to prevent fighter planes or other military equipment from being seized or used by the Taliban.

Bradley Bowman, a former U.S. “Black Hawk” helicopter pilot who served in Afghanistan, told Defense News: “There is no doubt that they (the Taliban) have acquired hundreds of Humvees, artillery and other equipment. There are also planes.” He once severely criticized the US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. He said: “This should make the Americans deeply uneasy, not only because we provided these aid equipment, but also because it benefited the Taliban in the end.” He said that when the Biden administration considers its withdrawal, the highest priority should be safe evacuation. The Americans in Afghanistan should then destroy the American equipment left in Afghanistan, as well as all the aircraft and helicopters left by the Afghan Air Force. “Once this is all done… then why don’t we destroy every fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter seized by the Taliban? I think it absolutely should be done.”

According to the report, according to official reports, the Afghan Air Force has 23 A-29 attack aircraft, 4 C-130 transport aircraft and 33 Cenas Caravan light aircraft, some of which are used for small strike missions. The Afghan Air Force also has about 150 helicopters, including the US-made UH-60 “Black Hawk” helicopters and MD-530 helicopters, and is also retiring the Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters. In the Afghan Air Force’s arsenal, the most advanced should be the A-29 “Super Toucan” attack aircraft, which is a propeller-powered attack aircraft manufactured by Embraer and modified by U.S. defense companies. Integrate the fighter with US-made weapon systems and sensors. Unlike fighters that pursue maneuverability and speed for aerial combat, the A-29 attack aircraft is optimized for counter-insurgency missions, in which the fighters need to fly slowly and low to strike ground targets. This fighter can also be piloted by relatively inexperienced pilots, and it can also be operated in harsh environments. These performance characteristics make this attack aircraft particularly suitable for use by the Afghan Air Force.

The report quoted General Mark Kelly, the head of the US Air Force Air Combat Command, as saying that the use of A-29 attack aircraft during the war with the Taliban would not pose a technical threat to the US military. He said: “This can be understood as not having to worry about any equipment falling into the enemy’s hands. We don’t know how the Afghans will use it.” He added: “But it is certain that the technology of the A-29 attack aircraft is not cutting-edge. Technology.” “When you see the range, speed, computer power, and upgrade potential of the aircraft… Frankly speaking, this is not something we worry about.”

Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst at the Tier Group, an aviation analysis think tank, said that although the Taliban may want to sell the seized aircraft, none of the aircraft or helicopters equipped by the Afghan Air Force contain any damage to China or Russia. Useful and sensitive technology in the country. He said: “To be honest, if China or Russia wants to get a’Super Toucan’ attack aircraft or a’Black Hawk’ helicopter, it will not be so difficult.” “The technical content of the Afghan Air Force equipment is quite low.”

According to reports, if the Taliban try to pilot these fighters and use the remaining fighter equipment to form an air force, they will face “a long list of obstacles.” US General Mark Kelly stated that untrained Taliban pilots can safely fly aircraft, use sensors and weaponry. Even if the Taliban finally find a suitable pilot, “but in terms of threats in the area, I don’t think this is a threat that we need to worry too much about.”

The report believes that for the Taliban, the bigger obstacle is the cost, expertise and logistical support related to aircraft maintenance. This is an expensive task that involves maintenance before and after the flight and the purchase of spare parts. But Bowman, a former US “Black Hawk” helicopter pilot, said that these are not unsolvable problems. He said: “Maybe they can find pilots, maybe the Afghan Air Force pilots will be forced to stand on their side.” “Foreign forces that are not allied with the United States can help. This is not unimaginable.”