Destroyed Afghani Regimen HQ and Herat Airfield (my title)

DOD ^ | 10/11/01 | President Bush and the United States

[Diogenesis]

Mazar Sharif Div. Regimen Hq., Herat Airfield

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Mazar Sharif Div. Regimen Hq. (prestrike, poststrike)

Herat Airfield (pre, poststrike)

[Tommyjo]

The majority of these aircraft that were lined up were MiG-17 'Fresco'. This is basically an aircraft dump for disused aircraft left over from the Soviet supplied Afghan Air Force. Photographs taken over the years since the withdrawl of Soviet forces show large numbers of derilict ex-Afghan Air Force aircraft dragged into dumps such as shown on strike photographs. Recent footage in the last few days from Bagram (Northern Alliance side) airbase show large numbers of ex-Afghan Air Force derilict MiG-21 'Fishbed'. The operational aircraft that the Taliban and Northern Alliance used were small numbers of Su-20/22 'Fitter' and MiG-21 'Fishbed'. In the case of the Taliban these MiG-21s and Su-22 and a small number of L-39 attack aircraft would probably have been moved out into hiding places such as inside disused buildings. The cratering of runways is to prevent any of these hidden aircraft from having access to the runways. There are very limited targets and many of the Navy aircraft are bringing back some of their bombs as revealed on the newscasts from the carrier forces in the region. The targetting of this aircraft dump is basically that it looks good on the strike photos and also was probably targetted by a pilot/crew looking for targets of opportunity.

[section9]

You all are missing the point.

Great strike pics, I know. But we wouldn't have wasted the ordinance on junk aircraft that no one in Afghanistan knows how to repair anyway. We already knew the condition of the aircraft going in. Most of them were probably airworthy.

The Herat mission was flown on behalf of the United Front. It's a confidence building mission to spread the word through the NA ranks that the dreaded Taliban aircraft are out of commission for good.

But what really should have perked up everyone's ears is the Mazer-e-Sherif. We hit a regimental hq (for what passes for a Taliban regiment). We are flying air cap for the Northern Alliance, people. Within ten days Mazer-e-Sherif will be in our hands. That's what this should tell you.

Chris

[section9]

Sorry, I meant to say that most of them WEREN'T airworthy. It looks good to the Northern Alliance guys, though.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[6ppc]

Looked like one plane, looked like a mig 21 maybe, left in one piece and it's probably damaged.

[6ppc]

Within ten days Mazer-e-Sherif will be in our hands.

I think you are right. Did you see the ammo bunker blowing up on TV? They said it burned for hours.

[Poohbah]

Contrary to popular belief, the US military is NOT God. We merely borrowed his "SMITE" button for our fire control system.

[Poohbah]

BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...another one bites the dust :o)

[Blueflag]

re: "target of opportunity"

I would agree with you. This appears to have been done by a single aircraft who perhaps was #3 or #4 in a strike package, and the guys first in line destroyed the primary, and left him with all his ordinance. This was on the way home ...

He had the shot, there was no danger, so he took it.

[dighton]

We merely borrowed his "SMITE" button for our fire control system.

There was a great Far Side cartoon with that very theme. 50,000 FReeper points to anyone who can find and link it.

Offer void where prohibited.

[appeal2]

This is a major improvement to the Afghani landscape.

[strela]

Here ya go.

[Tommyjo]

Similar targetting was done on Yugoslav airfields during Operation Allied Force in 1999, using derilict airframes of MiG-21s and purpose built decoys of MiG-29s dispersed on their airfields. NATO forces had no choice but to expend ordnance and effort destroying these derelict/decoys. The dangerous part in the case of the Yugoslavs is that they purposely did this to try and ambush NATO aircraft using their SAMs. If the Taliban had any tactical sense they would have dispersed every single one of those derelict MiG-17s into every corner of the airfield forcing US aircrew to expend ordnance of individual targets. Possibly the targetting was done before anyone thought of decoy dispersal, but as I stated in my last post many of the ex-Afghan Air Force bases have lots of abandoned airframe wrecks and hulks. The small number of Taliban operational aircraft will have been well hidden or secreted in civilan areas near the bases themselves. Iraq secreted some of their aircraft into the suburbs of villages during Desert Storm . Same with Argentina with their small number of Super Etendards during the Falklands war to protect them from Special Forces airfield attack.

[been_lurking]

Quality personnel are maintained through superior working conditions. A pilot who just shot in the low 80's on his last round of golf and capped the morning with a sauna, massage, and really good cigar is in a far better state of mind for the task at hand. Just because it's a war doesn't mean it has to be totally without basic comforts. :)

Your observations do raise some interesting possibilities. A random target of opportunity (with a quick photo pass for bragging rights back on the quarterdeck) is certainly within the realm of possibilities.

[dighton]

Thank you! Here are your 50,000 FReeper points.

[Reweld]

Rats! The Confederate Air Force missed out on collecting a bunch of restoreable antique warbirds!

[StormEye]

"Check out what is left of those planes."

How convenient of them to keep their planes so closely parked together!
Such a nice, tidy row!
I bet the pilot(s) who did that bombing run had fun.

[strela]

Goodness.

(gulp)

She has very prominent ...

braids.

[Tommyjo]

No RAF strike packages are being used over Afghanistan hence you can't use this Tornado excuse ;o) The RAF are providing air-to-air refuelling tanker aircraft in the form of VC-10 and L-1011 Tristar's. These probe-drogue tankers are exclusively being used for US Navy strike package refuellings going into/out of Afghanistan. RAF are also supplying Canberra PR.9s for electro-optical photo intelligence and Nimrod R.1 for electronic intelligence.

[Dan Day]

Wow, we hit 'em so hard between frames #1 and #2, that the earth's magnetic field changed!

Lol -- you noticed that too, eh?

Someone in the map department needs to double-check their work better.

[ChadsDad]

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