Military


Afghanistan - Air Force Equipment


SYSTEMS Inventory
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
BOMBERS ~20
Il-28 ~20
FIGHTERS/GROUND ATTACK ~127 150 190 ~22 ~51
MiG-23 30 30
Su-25 50
MiG-21F 40 30 80 +
Su-17 / Su-22 12 10 80 +
Su-7B 25 30
MiG-17 ~50
TRANSPORT ~38 78 52 ~24 + 12 18 18
C-27A / G.222 9 18 18
An-24/-26/-30/-32 15 40 50 ~24 + 3
An-12 12
An-2 ~10 10
An-14 12 12
Il-18D 1 2 2
TRAINER + 42 43 5 2 2 32 32
MiG-21U + 18 18
L-39 + 18 25 52 2 23
MiG-15UTI + 6
Cessna 1724 32 32
Yak-18 +
HELICOPTER ~72 102 92 + 13 44 50 50
Mi-24 / Mi-25 / Mi-35 ~305 30 20 + 5 9 9 9
Mi-17 35 35 + 8 35 35 35
Mi-8 ~30 25 25 +
Hughes 530F 6 6
Mi-4 ~12 12 12
Air Defense
SAM 235 225 225
SA-3 115 110 110
SA-2 120 115 115
AD GUN + + +
100mm KS-19 + + +
85mm KS-12 + + +
37mm M-1939 + + +

Notes

    1 - According to the IISS The Military Balance there were 5 fighter/ground attack aircraft of indeterminate type operation in 2005.

    2 - According to the IISS The Military Balance these aircraft were utilized in the ground attack role.

    3 - According to the SIPRI Trade Registers there was reportedly a $3 million deal in 2010 for an additional 3 L-39 aircraft in 2010. The US Department of Defense's "Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan and United States Plan for Sustaining the Afghan National Security Forces" report in April 2011 made no mention of L-39 aircraft at all as being in the Afghan Air Force inventory.

    4 - The SIPRI Trade Register mentions the planned sale of 6 TA-4J "Skyhawk" trainer aircraft to Afghanistan. This appears to be a confusion between the TA-4J trainer and the Cessna 172 "Skyhawk" aircraft. The US Department of Defense noted a planned purchase of 32 "Cessna-like" aircraft for the Afghan Air Force for training purposes and Afghan pilots have been training on simulators for the Cessna 172.

    5 - According to the IISS The Military Balance there were 10 non-operational airframes as well, and more were being delivered.




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