The nascent and ill equipped Afghan Air Force (AAF) is considered the main shortcoming of Afghanistan’s armed forces. Though Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) are at the forefront of the international fight against terrorism, they are faced with enormous challenges in terms of equipment and military hardware, the biggest of which is the lack of airpower that can provide necessary air support for the infantry during fighting and counterinsurgency operations. Afghan forces continue to rely on the air support of international troops who also don’t appropriately back them, a flaw that has led to increased casualties among civilians as well as Afghan forces themselves.
Additionally, another major headache for Afghan forces is the growing number of crashes involving AAF’s helicopters. Statistics show that 10 helicopters of the Afghan Air Force have either crashed or been shot down by insurgents over the last nine months. The government attributes most of the crashes to technical problems. No matter what the causes are, the rising number of incidents of helicopter crashing in a country like Afghanistan, whose military is funded through foreign aid, incurs exorbitant amount of losses on the country.
The government leadership, especially heads of the security apparatus, should take the issue seriously. They have to identify the causes of the crashing of helicopters, and try to tackle them. If helicopters have mechanical breakdowns, they have to be identified and fixed. If there is corruption in Afghan Air Force that allows the appointment of non-professional personnel, the issue of corruption and unqualified appointments must be countered.
When a helicopter crashes each month, there is no way Afghan Air Force can stand on its own feet. It is not possible to beg for helicopters and planes for the Afghan Air Force, and at the same time, lose one aircraft each month for technical problems or any other reasons. Afghanistan cannot afford such heavy financial losses. Reforms and merit-based appointments in the Afghan Air Force should become a top priority for the government, without which the force will not be successful, no matter how much equipment they will receive. Reform is the first step towards boosting the capabilities of the Afghan Air Force which the government should bring as soon as possible.
