Afghan Air Force receives first four A-29s

[MilSpec]

How much fun would our own air force have with aircraft like these in use against the Taliban. I love these type of aircraft.

You have the T37 Tweets which can be used as low speed CAS fighters...

 

[mingle]

Did they got theior pilots?who ran away during trainng of these jets .

 

[Viper0011.]

I don't believe the Afghan's have used an excuse as specific as 'we lack CAS' for their failure to secure the border provinces and routes.

enough said . You are talking you " I don't believe", I am referring to pure historical facts. No emotions!!

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

enough said . You are talking you " I don't believe", I am referring to pure historical facts. No emotions!!

Show me the list of "factual excuses" the Afghans have provided then, that tie the provision of these A-29's to some sort of miraculous turnaround by the ANA/NDS in tackling the TTP sanctuaries in the Afghan border provinces.

 

[RabzonKhan]

It is early, yes, but I'm not convinced there are strong foundations to build upon. The overwhelming majority of CAS and air delivered munitions have gone through ISAF/NATO, and largely adhered to their significantly more established and stringent ROE's and SOP's.

'Performed well', given the size of the Afghan security forces and the largely singular threat they have to face (in contrast to the multidimensional threats, internal and external, that Pakistan has to address), is a stretch.

Why I think they performed well, let me give you few examples,:

1. As I have repeatedly said that they have a very weak Air Force. Gen. John Nicholson, Pres. Obama’s nominee for commander of US operation in Afghanistan has also acknowledged that “coalition’s end of combat operations combine with the shortfall in Afghan air power had contributed to a lack of air support for the Afghan Army’s campaign against the Taliban”.

Now, we all know that the US and Pak Armed Forces have not conducted any major operation without air power/support.

2. ANA is only about 10 years old, and with limited resources, since 2014, have taken over the security responsibilities of the entire country, so far, no major city is under the Taliban control.

3. In 2005, the total strength of ANA was around 24,000, and now it has reached around 195,000 personnel. Total land area of Afghanistan is 652,860 square kilometers, with the exception of few areas, the entire country is like a war zone (considering that at one time the Taliban terrorists had 90% of the country under their control). Now you do the math, 195,000 trying to defend an area of 652,860.

Let’s compare it with FATA, it is 27,220 square kilometers, we have around 140,000 regular forces and more than 30,000 FC, and still it took us more than 14 years to take control of most of the area, though, the fighting still continues in Shawal Valley.

The fact that the Afghan's have chosen to fight a proxy war against Pakistan through the Baloch and TTP terrorists only undermines claims of progress on their part. As I've argued elsewhere, when Pakistan with its many magnitudes stronger military, economic and intelligence resources was unable to control the Afghan Taliban, the NDS/ANA stand no chance of controlling an even more virulent TTP and increasingly genocidal Baloch terrorist movement.

Most of the Baloch leaders were kicked out of (most probably because of American pressure)Afghanistan, and I think since the 18th amendment, the Baloch terrorists have lost all credibility, today, they are more of a nuisance than any serious threat, and here I must say that our forces have done a good job.

The Afghan government is looking the other way, not doing enough to remove them or most probably is giving them some funds, I would agree with you on that, but TTP is their proxy? I’m really surprised that a knowledgeable person like you believes in such a ridiculous propaganda.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Let’s compare it with FATA, it is 27,220 square kilometers, we have around 140,000 regular forces and more than 30,000 FC, and still it took us more than 14 years to take control of most of the area, though, the fighting still continues in Shawal Valley.

I disagree with your comparison - the parts of Afghanistan that are 'under control' are essentially at the level that FATA is, and Afghanistan is at that level because for the majority of the 14 years it was ISAF that was doing the overwhelming majority of the fighting, with the Afghans playing a support role. The Afghans took over security responsibilities in a country that had essentially already been 'secured' at the current levels, and even now they rely primarily on US/NATO air support with detachments of US/NATO ground forces (the MSF debacle that the Afghans have been trying to blame on Pakistan being one recent example).

In addition, while Pakistani forces continue to fight in a handful of isolated regions such as Shawal, the Afghans have dozens of such areas that they exercise no control over, the massive expanses of Kunar for example.

The Afghan government is looking the other way, not doing enough to remove them or most probably is giving them some funds, I would agree with you on that, but TTP is their proxy? I’m really surprised that a knowledgeable person like you believes in such a ridiculous propaganda.

Financial support for, and active collaboration with, groups like the TTP, BLA, BRA etc counts as a proxy war against Pakistan - this doesn't mean that the TTP, BLA, BRA etc are Afghan lackey's, or that they were founded by the Afghans, but the goal behind Afghan support for these groups is to wage terrorism in Pakistan and use these groups as proxies to do so.

 

[RabzonKhan]

I disagree with your comparison - the parts of Afghanistan that are 'under control' are essentially at the level that FATA is, and Afghanistan is at that level because for the majority of the 14 years it was ISAF that was doing the overwhelming majority of the fighting, with the Afghans playing a support role. The Afghans took over security responsibilities in a country that had essentially already been 'secured' at the current levels, and even now they rely primarily on US/NATO air support with detachments of US/NATO ground forces (the MSF debacle that the Afghans have been trying to blame on Pakistan being one recent example).

In addition, while Pakistani forces continue to fight in a handful of isolated regions such as Shawal, the Afghans have dozens of such areas that they exercise no control over, the massive expanses of Kunar for example.

I’m not going to go into the nitty-gritty’s, look at the broader picture, the COIN strategy cannot succeed with 195,000 security force trying to defend/control an area of 652,860 square kilometers and population of 32 million, with rampant corruption (Afghanistan ranks 166 of 167 in transparency international’s 2015 report). Drugs are another huge problem, since the Taliban have allied themselves with drug cartels, they are able to pay more to their foot soldiers than the Afghan soldiers salaries. And I’m not even mentioning the blunders Obama administration has made.

And as I pointed out previously, FATA is a good example, an area of 27,220 square kilometers and a small population of 3.5 million, but still it took more than 14 years, (140,000 regular forces and more than 30,000 FC ) for a well trained, substantially funded security force to get it under control.

Financial support for, and active collaboration with, groups like the TTP, BLA, BRA etc counts as a proxy war against Pakistan - this doesn't mean that the TTP, BLA, BRA etc are Afghan lackey's, or that they were founded by the Afghans, but the goal behind Afghan support for these groups is to wage terrorism in Pakistan and use these groups as proxies to do so.

When I said probably providing some funds, I meant, those funds could be for informants, but there is no way Afghan government can be collaborating with TTP, that will completely go against the American interest, since US has been giving Pakistan billions of dollar to fight TTP, AQ, AT Nexus, there is no way the US will tolerate such collaboration.

Since you mentioned Kunar, (and Nuristan) actually that is considered the headquarters of TTP, where they are the guest of Afghan Taliban.

The fact is, TTP is an offshoot of Afghan Taliban, they collaborate on both side of the border, they also have strong alliance with AQ, and Punjabi Taliban terrorists, just to name a few.