Ahmad Zia Saraj, the former head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS), says the Taliban’s air force is at risk of collapse due to technical problems and a lack of the financial and technical resources needed to carry out major aircraft overhauls.
Saraj said routine maintenance is not sufficient to keep helicopters operational and that each helicopter must undergo a major overhaul after reaching a specified number of flight hours. According to him, the cost of a major overhaul for an aircraft in the international market is around $3.5 million, an amount the Taliban cannot afford.
He warned that failure to carry out the necessary maintenance could lead to technical malfunctions in helicopters and potentially result in crashes.
Saraj added that as the activities of opposition groups increase, the Taliban will become increasingly dependent on their remaining helicopters for transportation and military operations. This, in turn, will place greater pressure on the air force and heavy military equipment.
According to him, many of the helicopters and aircraft left over from the previous government require major overhauls to return to full operational capacity. However, limited funding and a shortage of technical resources have exacerbated problems related to the aging and maintenance of this equipment.
The former NDS chief also referred to the Taliban’s recent military agreement with Russia, saying that the Taliban expect Russia to restore and repair their weapons and air force. According to Saraj, some reports indicate that the Russian side has expressed readiness to repair the helicopters in exchange for payment.
Saraj further said that the Taliban’s military equipment problems are not limited to the air force. He said that some of the small arms left over from the previous government have either been looted from storage facilities, sold on the black market, or smuggled out of Afghanistan.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
