THIS was the Afghan Air Force!!!!WTF!!!!

[Dayton3]

President Biden (and many others) have loved to point out that the "Afghanistan had an Air Force" in constrast to the Taliban. This to drive home their point about the Afghans not being willing to fight.

By simply saying the "Afghans have an Air Force" is implies and brings forth the imagery and idea that the Afghans have ranks of B-52s and A-10s available to pounce on the Taliban.

In reality this was the Afghan Air Force.

Not a single jet powered or multi engined combat aircraft in the lot.

List of Afghan Air Force aircraft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Indeed, about the ONLY fixed wing combat aircraft is the Super Tucano. A single engined propeller driven aircraft that would be hideously vulnerable even to regular rifle fire.

Yet someone these handful of relics people expect to stand off tens of thousands of fanatical Taliban.

 

[mamooth]

The Afghans weren't willing to fight. That's undeniable, therefore you're denying it. The South Vietnamese weren't willing to fight either, so the civil war there was also unwinnable.

For how many more hundreds of years did you want the USA in Afghanistan? History will look favorably on both Biden and Trump here.

 

[LuckyDuck]

President Biden (and many others) have loved to point out that the "Afghanistan had an Air Force" in constrast to the Taliban. This to drive home their point about the Afghans not being willing to fight.

By simply saying the "Afghans have an Air Force" is implies and brings forth the imagery and idea that the Afghans have ranks of B-52s and A-10s available to pounce on the Taliban.

In reality this was the Afghan Air Force.

Not a single jet powered or multi engined combat aircraft in the lot.

List of Afghan Air Force aircraft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Indeed, about the ONLY fixed wing combat aircraft is the Super Tucano. A single engined propeller driven aircraft that would be hideously vulnerable even to regular rifle fire.

Yet someone these handful of relics people expect to stand off tens of thousands of fanatical Taliban.

The only two "combat" aircraft listed as current are the Cessna 208B and the A-29 Super Tucano. Beyond use as an observation aircraft in this era, I fail to see any value of the Cessna 208B.
As Afghanistan is very mountainous, they have a good variety of helicopters which would be of more value to their troops.

 

[Dayton3]

The Afghans weren't willing to fight. That's undeniable, therefore you're denying it. The South Vietnamese weren't willing to fight either, so the civil war there was also unwinnable.

That isn't true.

Isn't it amazing that whenever the U.S. runs away that somehow the people we were allied with were "corrupt" or "wouldn't fight".

 

[Obiwan]

Apparently, Afghanistan is in desperate need of help....

Can we interest them in a naval veteran who has extensive drug experience and is the smartest man Pedo Joe knows???

 

[Gabe Lackmann]

President Biden (and many others) have loved to point out that the "Afghanistan had an Air Force" in constrast to the Taliban. This to drive home their point about the Afghans not being willing to fight.

By simply saying the "Afghans have an Air Force" is implies and brings forth the imagery and idea that the Afghans have ranks of B-52s and A-10s available to pounce on the Taliban.

In reality this was the Afghan Air Force.

Not a single jet powered or multi engined combat aircraft in the lot.

List of Afghan Air Force aircraft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Indeed, about the ONLY fixed wing combat aircraft is the Super Tucano. A single engined propeller driven aircraft that would be hideously vulnerable even to regular rifle fire.

Yet someone these handful of relics people expect to stand off tens of thousands of fanatical Taliban.

Two reasons---they lacked funds for top of the line attack aircraft, and also the qualified airmen to pilot them, and maintain them.
The US government was forced to work with what they had as far as manpower. The up armored Super Tucano was actually quite appropriate for the mission of infantry support, and recon.
They also had a number on Mi-24 attack helicopters left from Soviet times, retrofitted for modern warfare in Ukraine.

 

[shockedcanadian]

The Afghans weren't willing to fight. That's undeniable, therefore you're denying it. The South Vietnamese weren't willing to fight either, so the civil war there was also unwinnable.

For how many more hundreds of years did you want the USA in Afghanistan? History will look favorably on both Biden and Trump here.

It will look far more unfavourably on George W. Bush

 

[Dayton3]

Two reasons---they lacked funds for top of the line attack aircraft, and also the qualified airmen to pilot them, and maintain them.
The US government was forced to work with what they had as far as manpower. The up armored Super Tucano was actually quite appropriate for the mission of infantry support, and recon.
They also had a number on Mi-24 attack helicopters left from Soviet times, retrofitted for modern warfare in Ukraine.

That still don't change the fact that a single U.S. A-10 can deliver as much ordnance on target as ALL OF the Super Tucano's combined. And do it 50% faster, several hundred miles further from its base.

 

[Gabe Lackmann]

That still don't change the fact that a single U.S. A-10 can deliver as much ordnance on target as ALL OF the Super Tucano's combined. And do it 50% faster, several hundred miles further from its base.

But when you have 80IQ sheep herders working your aircraft you have to keep it VERY VERY simple. Oh I have stories man...trust me.

 

[Dayton3]

But when you have 80IQ sheep herders working your aircraft you have to keep it VERY VERY simple. Oh I have stories man...trust me.

I wouldn't mind hearing some of them.

 

[Likkmee]

President Biden (and many others) have loved to point out that the "Afghanistan had an Air Force" in constrast to the Taliban. This to drive home their point about the Afghans not being willing to fight.

By simply saying the "Afghans have an Air Force" is implies and brings forth the imagery and idea that the Afghans have ranks of B-52s and A-10s available to pounce on the Taliban.

In reality this was the Afghan Air Force.

Not a single jet powered or multi engined combat aircraft in the lot.

List of Afghan Air Force aircraft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Indeed, about the ONLY fixed wing combat aircraft is the Super Tucano. A single engined propeller driven aircraft that would be hideously vulnerable even to regular rifle fire.

Yet someone these handful of relics people expect to stand off tens of thousands of fanatical Taliban.

as long as the "fixed wing" is done with 3M---all is good

 

[Gabe Lackmann]

I wouldn't mind hearing some of them.

I got one for ya. We worked for the first six months I was there on creating an aircraft forms documentation program. We drafted something that the semi-literate Afghans could understand. We settled on a system that combined US Army, and US Air Force systems, taking the most obvious, easiest, and basic components of each.
These replaced their old 'forms' binders which were constructed out of cardboard boxes, and safety wire. These old forms were little more than a couple notes from mechanic to mechanic, and aircrew, not sufficient. The brand new forms were sectioned, white binders similar to those which US aircraft have.
We trained the Afghans on the new forms. We held numerous classes, held hands on courses where we instructed on forms documentation. We drafted legacy training curriculum that they could use, and expand upon, and trained their managers, to include the AAF/QA Commander, and AAF Training Wing Commander.

Then

We had a green on blue attack and ops ceased for about two weeks.
When we returned after 10 days. Our forms had been thrown on the corner of a hangar, others in the garbage, and their old binders were back.

I have one more though...the best ever.

One of my main projects with the AAF was drafting both Check Flight, and aircraft weight and balance operating Instructions.

I worked with the AAF QA Chief for months, comparing and contrasting our program with US Army, and AAF methods. however, one day we reached a sticking point on procedure. The QA Chief told me to hold on he may have something to help me. He then went to his cabinet and retrieved four folders. These were all programs, drafted by previous advisors, going back 10 years...for the exact same thing. The US Army had written them, the US Navy, and another Air force advisor.
He knew the ENTIRE time I was putting in all those hours drafting, redrafting, coordinating, and submitting that they already had these programs in writing, but never told me.

The goal, the entire time, was to stall. to hide previous accomplishments, to play stupid, to game the system. It was all a great big game to them.

Well, I hope those cocksuckers are having fun now.

 

[Gabe Lackmann]

as long as the "fixed wing" is done with 3M---all is good

That's speed tape. That is a standard temp fix for aircraft. They probably have loose set of rivets on the nacelle which cannot be worked right then. You don't want the engine ingesting anything. speed tape is the best. Love it.

 

[Mushroom]

President Biden (and many others) have loved to point out that the "Afghanistan had an Air Force" in constrast to the Taliban. This to drive home their point about the Afghans not being willing to fight.

By simply saying the "Afghans have an Air Force" is implies and brings forth the imagery and idea that the Afghans have ranks of B-52s and A-10s available to pounce on the Taliban.

In reality this was the Afghan Air Force.

Not a single jet powered or multi engined combat aircraft in the lot.

List of Afghan Air Force aircraft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Indeed, about the ONLY fixed wing combat aircraft is the Super Tucano. A single engined propeller driven aircraft that would be hideously vulnerable even to regular rifle fire.

Yet someone these handful of relics people expect to stand off tens of thousands of fanatical Taliban.

Very interesting. According to that list, this is all that they might have in inventory.

• Boeing 727: 3 Entering service as VIP transports - 3 maybe
• Cessna 208B: 26 aircraft currently in service
• Embraer A-29 Super Tucano: Advanced fixed wing trainer and COIN Attack aircraft. 26 aircraft in service with AAF
• HAL Cheetah 3 obtained from 2014, currently operational
• Lockheed C-130 Hercules: 4 C-130H models obtained in 2013 as replacements for the C-27A's
• MD 530F: 18 currently operational.
• Mil Mi-17: 35 transport helicopters delivered from 1987, with 98 currently in Air Force service
• Mil Mi-35: As of 2015, 6 in Air Force service
• Pilatus PC-12: Special operations light transport/ utility aircraft, operational from 2014
• UH-60A: Four in use for training

And the only thing that can really be called "combat aircraft" are the 26 Super Tucanos. A decent little propeller driven CAS aircraft, but nowhere anywhere near enough when facing a major offensive. That would be like the US deciding to only use fighters to try to stop the Germans at the Ardennes instead of throwing in their bombers.

In this, the President is doing the exact same thing he did as Vice President years ago. When he wrote a six page memo to President Obama, saying that the military and intelligence analysts were blowing the threat of the Taliban completely out of proportion. And that they were of absolutely no threat, and were not going to take over Afghanistan.

And notice, no surprise that they are taking over form the Administration, simply that it is happening so fast. But it is not happening fast. The moment they realized that the US would not respond (just as North Vietnam at the start of 1975), they decided it was open season. Some people just refuse to ever learn from history.

 

[Mushroom]

The Afghans weren't willing to fight.

What did they have to fight with? We had already pulled out the only air support they had. And stopped all assistance, and told the world they were turning our backs on them.

The moment we did that the country was lost, and there was not a damned thing they could do to stop it.

 

[AZrailwhale]

The Afghans weren't willing to fight. That's undeniable, therefore you're denying it. The South Vietnamese weren't willing to fight either, so the civil war there was also unwinnable.

For how many more hundreds of years did you want the USA in Afghanistan? History will look favorably on both Biden and Trump here.

The ARVNs were willing to fight. They fought even when outclassed by the Soviet trained and armed heavy armor forces used to invade the RVN. Yes many of their officers were corrupt, but the troops were brave and capable fighters.

 

[Mushroom]

as long as the "fixed wing" is done with 3M---all is good

Here, maybe after this you will actually know what you are talking about.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

The Afghans weren't willing to fight. That's undeniable, therefore you're denying it. The South Vietnamese weren't willing to fight either, so the civil war there was also unwinnable.

For how many more hundreds of years did you want the USA in Afghanistan? History will look favorably on both Biden and Trump here.

Those wars were winnable if we'd have let the military do its job.
You cant have a war ran by politicians if you expect to win.

 

[Likkmee]

That's speed tape. That is a standard temp fix for aircraft. They probably have loose set of rivets on the nacelle which cannot be worked right then. You don't want the engine ingesting anything. speed tape is the best. Love it.

You built airboats too ?

 

[Gabe Lackmann]

You built airboats too ?

Maybe...got any aluminum? We can try. All I have are these empty beer cans.