The Pentagon was warned in January last year that Afghanistan’s $8.5 billion air force would fall apart without additional American support, according to a newly declassified report.
The document, submitted in early 2021 by Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko, was made public Tuesday — five months after the Taliban reconquered Afghanistan following 20 years of war against US-led NATO forces.
“Without continued assistance and clear focus on the development of all levels and positions of Afghanistan’s air forces, the resources, capability, and sustainment of the [Afghan Air Force] and [Special Mission Wing] may be at risk,” read the report, which noted that the Western-backed Afghan government would heavily rely on its newly minted air forces to conduct combat missions against insurgents embedded in remote areas of the country.
“Despite this importance to the safety and security of Afghanistan, neither the AAF nor the SMW have been able to meet their authorized end strengths, and both forces lack a strategy to overcome these challenges and respond to growing mission requirements,” the report warned.
According to SIGAR, neither of the Afghan air forces managed to develop recruiting strategies or policies, while both the Afghans and their US minders failed to prioritize training personnel to man key support positions.
The report also noted that the Department of Defense “does not ensure qualified and trained pilots and maintainers are in positions that utilize their advanced training, potentially leading to the payment of incorrectly placed or unqualified personnel.”
The report noted that Washington had spent more than $8.5 billion to “support and develop” the AAF and the SMW since 2010. It concluded by recommending that the US and the Afghan government “[f]inalize a mitigation plan to ensure the continuation of essential maintenance, operation, and advisory support to the AAF and SMW should the U.S. and Taliban agreement require the withdrawal of contractors from Afghanistan.”
It is rare for SIGAR reports to be classified, though a declassified version is typically released by the Pentagon within two months when they are, the inspector general’s office told the Associated Press.
It is unclear why this report took more than a year to be released.
Army Maj. Rob Lodewick, a Defense Department spokesman, told The Post that the Pentagon “has long acknowledged (a) the important role the AAF had within the [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] & its efforts/ability to secure Afghanistan, (b) the need & importance of continued funding and maintenance, logistics & training support, and (c) the challenges faced with continuing such support amidst a withdrawal of on-ground forces.
“The specific challenges presented by SIGAR were well known to DoD at the time of the report’s original release and were actively being addressed all the way up to the fall of Kabul,” Lodewick added.
The US completed its chaotic troop withdrawal and initial efforts to evacuate Americans and their Afghan allies from the war-torn nation at the end of August.
The Biden administration was heavily criticized for the pullout as Afghan forces collapsed in the face of the Taliban, leaving thousands at the mercy of Islamist rule.
While top US military officials claimed no one could have anticipated how quickly the Afghan government would fall, multiple reports later emerged detailing that several intelligence officials and American diplomats had warned of a speedy collapse of the Kabul government.
Afghan officials had also warned that the country’s air force would not be able to sustain itself following a US withdrawal — with Ata Mohammed Noor, a northern Afghanistan warlord, claiming the fleet of planes was overused and under-maintained.
“Most of the planes are back on the ground,” he said at the time. “They cannot fly and most of them are out of ammunition.”
The January 2021 SIGAR report noted the Department of Defense claimed that the Afghan air forces were showing progress in their combat operation capabilities, pilot and ground crew proficiency and air-to-ground integration.
“However,” it added, “the air forces continue to struggle with human capital limitations, leadership challenges, aircraft misuse, and a dependence on contractor logistic support.”
With Post wires
