Tajikistan may receive US authorization to keep aircraft that belonged to Afghanistan and fled the country with the Taliban takeover in 2021. Among the models are the light attack turboprops Embraer A-29 Super Tucano.
In August 2021, dozens of planes and helicopters of the now defunct Afghan Air Force (AAF) fled the country with the Taliban takeover.
Amidst the crisis that was watched with shock around the world, AAF pilots boarded their A-29s, UH-60 Black Hawks and Mil Mi-8/Mi-17s and fled to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the north of the country.
Since then, more than 60 aircraft remain in neighboring countries and the Taliban are still demanding that they be returned, notes the Reuters.
In January of this year, the Taliban's acting Defense Minister, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob, demanded the return of the aircraft: “We will not allow these aircraft to remain abroad or be used by these countries,” Yaqoob said. He even threatened, saying that "retaliation measures" would be taken if the two countries did not meet the demands.
Last weekend, commander of the US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, was in Tajikistan. “We are grateful to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan for continuing to protect the aircraft that the Afghan Air Force brought into the country last August”, said the General.
“The United States is working with the Tajik government to determine the best way to effectively use and maintain the aircraft,” Kurilla said. The Official also stated that the planes and helicopters will not be returned. "because they don't belong to the Taliban".
“Our hope is to be able to deliver some or all of the aircraft to the Tajik government. I don't have a timeline for when that will be, but we're working hard to make it happen."
The planes and helicopters, as well as the training of mechanics and crew, were funded by the US Government as a to Afghanistan in the fight against the Taliban.
With the imminent takeover of Kabul by the new regime in 2021, dozens of aircraft were damaged by troops still remaining at the airport, which was the scene of a desperate flight of thousands of Afghans.
The Pentagon estimated that 64 of the AAF's 160 aircraft fled the country, 46 to Uzbekistan and 18 to Tajikistan.
