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To: M. Thatcher
the Taliban's 20-aircraft air force

In the early 1990s Afghanistan's Air Force included 12 combat squadrons with a total of 126 aircraft [Russian-built Mig-21, Su-7, Su-20, Su-22, and Il-39]. Some An-12 transports were equipped with Soviet-designed bomb racks that could carry up to 38 250-kilogram bombs. The five aviation transport squadrons had about 60 planes [An-12, An-26, An-32, and Yak-40], and nine helicopter squadrons with about 100 Mi-8 and Mi-17 transport helicopters, and 14 Mi-24 combat helicopters.

By the mid-1990s the Air Force had collapsed as a professional military establishment, and remnaining aviation assets changed hands over the course of the civil war. Most of the surviving aircraft, amounting to about 40 combat aircraft and various transport planes and helicopters, are under Taliban control. About half the combat planes are Su-20 and Su-22 export versions of the Su-17 fighter-bomber, with the other half including Mig-21 interceptors and ground attack fighters. The Taliban also converted a few Il-39 trainer aircraft to bombers. Most of the planes are elderly, and many are unsafe to fly. Improvisation and cannibalization provide a few combat aircraft (six or eight) for limited operations.

Source: Afghanistan - Air Force

15 posted on 09/29/2001 6:17:42 PM PDT by Eric Esot
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To: Eric Esot
The well-informed, deeply researching author of this article refers to C-130 Spectre's as Puff the Magic Dragons, with cannons in their bellies. I think the folks who flew C-47s might have something to say about the two extra engines added to their gunships.

I would discount this article entirely. It is apparently NOT written by anyone close to being a military authority.

22 posted on 09/29/2001 6:39:34 PM PDT by Blueflag
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