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To: El Gato
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.
21 posted on 10/11/2001 6:25:38 PM PDT by Tommyjo
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To: Tommyjo
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.

28 posted on 10/11/2001 6:46:01 PM PDT by Blueflag
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To: 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.
32 posted on 10/11/2001 6:54:36 PM PDT by Tommyjo
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To: Tommyjo
Rats! The Confederate Air Force missed out on collecting a bunch of restoreable antique warbirds!
35 posted on 10/11/2001 7:18:11 PM PDT by Reweld
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To: Tommyjo
. 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.

That was not a target of opportunity. Either a B-1B or B2 (most likely a B-1B) axis of attack N-S. The bomb train and sequence is evident. The bombs used were dumb, therefore the B-1B likely.

43 posted on 10/11/2001 8:52:21 PM PDT by AndrewC
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