Armed Forces of Afghanistan

Military cooperation with the USSR began after the signing of the Soviet-Afghan treaty on February 28, 1921, according to which the parties assumed obligations not to enter into military and political alliances directed against one of the signatories to this treaty . In accordance with the agreement, the USSR committed itself to build a smokeless powder production plant in Afghanistan, open a flight school, transfer several planes , 5,000 rifles with a supply of rifle cartridges to the Afghan armed forces and send technicians to Afghanistan to train Afghan pilots and aircraft technicians ^{[4 ]} .

In 1923, the USSR handed over 20 captured FT-17 tanks to Afghanistan ^[5] .

Military cooperation with the USSR continued after the signing of the Soviet-Afghan agreement on military cooperation in August 1956. After that, the government of Afghanistan purchased a batch of weapons in the USSR in the amount of 25 million US dollars. In October 1956, supplies of small arms (carbines, PPSh submachine guns, and machine guns ) began from the USSR, and in 1957 25 T-34 tanks were received. Along with the tanks arrived 10 military advisers and instructors who were engaged in training tank crews ^[6] .

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the Afghan army was prepared and equipped with the USSR. According to the newspaper The New York Times , in 1981, the total strength of the Army was about 85 thousand troops ^[7] . After the fall of the DRA in 1992, power passed to the Taliban and the unified armed forces ceased to exist.

1990s - 2000s

In the period from 1990 to 2000, a civil war continued in the country, at this time several armed groups operated on the territory of Afghanistan.

As a result of the military operation “Enduring Freedom”, the Taliban state ceased to exist, and power in the country was transferred to the transitional administration of Afghanistan.

At the beginning of 2002, with the help of the USA and NATO countries , the creation of new Afghan armed forces was begun.

On December 2, 2002, Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed a decree establishing the “Afghan National Army,” which provided for the creation of a 70,000-strong army by 2009 ^[8] .

As of early January 2003, the army was 5 battalions (2 thousand military personnel) and about 600 recruits trained ^[9] .

In September 2008, the number of the Afghan army was 70 thousand troops ^[10] .

In early 2009, the ISAF military command announced that in Afghanistan the formation of armed “local self-defense units” began, subordinated to local authorities, which should assist the troops and police. Previously, the US military command used the same program in Iraq under the leadership of General David Patreus. ^[11]

At the same time, due to the need for accelerated training of military personnel, by October 2009 the training course for Afghan soldiers was reduced from 10 to 8 weeks, for officers from 25 to 20 weeks ^[12] .

In November 2009, the size of the Afghan army was 97.2 thousand troops ^[13] .

According to Pentagon official data, by the beginning of 2010, the cost of one Afghan soldier (including the cost of recruitment, training and maintenance) was 25 thousand US dollars per year - cheaper than the cost of one coalition soldier ^[14] .

In early August 2010, the first 29 female military personnel were recruited into the Afghan army ^[15] . At the end of September 2010, they completed a 20-week training course and received the rank of junior lieutenants. It was also announced that in the future the number of female military personnel will be increased ^[16] .

At the beginning of 2011, the number of the Afghan regular army was 132 thousand military personnel, another 12 thousand served in the border guard and 120 thousand in the police ^[17] .

At the beginning of September 2011, the number of the Afghan army was 170 thousand troops ^[18] .

Since 2012, Afghanistan has had the status of "a major ally outside of NATO ."

As of June 2012, the armed forces numbered about 200 thousand people ^[19] .

Since July 2013, the armed forces assumed full security of the country ^[20] .

As of mid-2013, the total strength of the armed forces of Afghanistan was over 190 thousand people (including 130 thousand military personnel of the ground forces, 6 thousand military personnel of the air force and about 55 thousand military personnel of command and control agencies, special operations forces , rear and auxiliary structures), another 20 thousand served in bodies and units of the Main Directorate of National Security of Afghanistan and over 140 thousand served in the Afghan National Police, Border Police and local police ^[21]

Strength

Structure

The basic structural unit in the Afghan army is a battalion of 600 people. A total of 14 teams to be regionally oriented. Thirteen of these brigades should be light infantry, one will be mechanized and a special forces brigade.

Five corps of the Afghan National Army:

• 201st Corps, includes the 1st Brigade in Kabul, the 2nd Brigade and the 3rd Mechanized Brigade (which are armed with M113 ^[22] armored personnel carriers and Soviet tanks)
• Gardez Corps 203
• 205th Corps based in Kandahar
• 207th Corps in Herat
• 209th Corps in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Commando

Preparations for the first Afghan commando unit began in early 2007 at the Morehead Commando Training Center military base, six miles south of Kabul. In July 2007, the first commando battalion was prepared, the personnel of which underwent three-month training courses on the model of US Army rangers, was equipped with weapons and equipment of the American standard ^[23] . Initially, it was planned to prepare one commando brigade (six battalions) for the Afghan army, but as of April 2012, 8 commando battalions were trained for the Afghan army. In the future, it is planned to increase the number of "commandos" to three brigades (15 battalions) "commandos" ^[24] .

Air Force

Small arms

Since the early 1970s, the army has been equipped with Soviet AKM and AK74 as the main small arms .

The first units of the formed Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police were armed with small arms produced by the USSR and countries of Eastern Europe. In the future, in connection with the transition of the army to NATO standards, in 2008 the replacement of army weapons with weapons produced by the United States and NATO countries began.

At the same time, part of the Kalashnikov assault rifles was sent to military depots, but they continue to be used by employees of the Afghan police and private military companies .

According to the report of the US Audit Chamber, only in the period before February 12, 2009, about 87 thousand units of weapons transferred in 2004-2008 to the Government of Afghanistan from the USA were lost in Afghanistan, as well as 135 thousand units of weapons sent to Afghanistan by NATO countries ^[25] .

In general, the ANA completed the process of rearmament with American weapons, which includes M9 pistols, M16A2 assault rifles, M4 carbines (some of which are equipped with a SOPMOD kit), M24 sniper rifles, M249 and M240V machine guns. Soviet-made weapons are used by Afghan police. A campaign is also underway to dispose of spent weapons.

Armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles

Major tanks

Air Defense / Artillery

As of August 2012, eleven years after the start of the western operation in the country, the Afghan security forces remained very dependent on assistance from foreign countries.

First of all, Afghan security forces are dependent on foreign economic assistance, as the Afghan government is not able to support them. Only the maintenance of law enforcement agencies requires approximately $ 8 billion per year, which is several times higher than the country's annual income. As regards the combat readiness of the Afghan army, it cannot yet be said that the army is able to independently ensure security in the country ^[26] .

In 2012, the United States and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement, in which Afghanistan is called "the main US ally outside NATO " ^[27]

In addition, the Afghan army receives a significant amount of weapons and military equipment from NATO countries and their allies through military assistance programs.

• So, in August 2002, Bulgaria donated 400 AK-47 assault rifles , eight 82-mm mortars , 12 SPG-9 grenade launchers , 15 RPG-7 grenade launchers , 8 machine guns, 30 radio stations, and an ammunition batch free of charge to the Afghan army ^[28] .
• in April 2005, the United States transferred the first 10 M113A2 armored personnel carriers to the Afghan army ^[29] ; during 2005, a total of 173 M113A2 and 16 staff M577 were received ^[30]
• in February 2007, the United States handed over to the Afghan army 213 Hammer vehicles and over 12 thousand small arms ^[31]
• in February 2007, the Czech Republic sent 10 helicopters, 650 machine guns and 20 thousand assault rifles to Afghanistan ^[32]
• in April 2007, the Czech Republic decided to give Afghanistan another 12 helicopters free of charge (six Mi-17 and six Mi-24) - the helicopters were transferred after the modernization, which they had at the expense of NATO funds at the Malešice aircraft plant ^[33]
• in April 2007, Estonia sent to Afghanistan a shipment of weapons and ammunition worth about $ 1 million (4 thousand Kalashnikov assault rifles and 4.6 million rounds of ammunition for them) ^[34]
• in 2007, Croatia transferred 1,000 Kalashnikovs and 300,000 rounds of ammunition to the Afghan army ^[35]
• in 2007, Turkey donated to the Afghan army 24 155-mm howitzers M-114, as well as spare parts and 2200 shells for them ^[36]
• In 2007-2008, Canada handed over to the Afghan army 2,500 modernized assault rifles Diemaco C7 totaling $ 2.9 million, as well as 7 million rounds. The machines were used until mid-2011, when it was decided to replace them with M-16s received from the USA ^[37]
• In 2008, the US Air Force signed a contract with the Italian company Alenia Aeronautica for the supply of 18 military transport aircraft C-27A (G.222) for the Afghan Army, which were in service with the Italian Air Force until 2005, as well as spare parts and auxiliary ground equipment. All aircraft had to undergo pre-sale training, and two of them were converted into a VIP configuration for transporting dignitaries. The total value of the order was $ 287 million ^[38] . In September 2010, an additional contract was signed for the supply of two more G.222 aircraft with a total value of $ 30 million. The supply of aircraft to the Afghan Air Force was launched in September 2009, the first flight was completed on March 24, 2010, and by the end of May 2012, 15 aircraft were actually delivered, two of which were equipped with modules for VIP transportation. However, the first problems with operating the aircraft in the Afghan Air Force were, and on March 30, 2012, the US Air Force entered into a new two-year contract for $ 107.7 million with the goal of restoring the Afghan S-27A and servicing them ^{[39] [40]} .
• In April 2008, the United States entered into a contract with Airtronic USA to supply 335 units to Afghanistan under a military assistance program. M203 grenade launchers, and in September 2008 - another contract for the supply of 2,887 pieces of military assistance to Afghanistan automatic carbines Colt M4 ^[41] ;
• On May 7, 2008, the US Navy Aviation Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced the acquisition of four An-32s for the Afghan Air Force in Ukraine, the first two aircraft were received in May 2008 ^[42] , and two more in September 2008 ^[43]
• in fiscal 2009, Japan provided $ 11.5 million worth of medical equipment to the Afghan army ^[44]
• in 2009, the United States purchased 19,000 Yugoslav Kalashnikovs in Croatia for arming the Afghan army in Croatia ^[45]
• в апреле 2011 года Хорватия приняла решение о поставке для полиции Афганистана 15 тыс. автоматов Zastava M70 и 300 лёгких артиллерийских орудий (общей стоимостью около 1 млн долларов США) ^[46]
• в 2011 году командование сухопутных войск США заключило контракты на поставку в течение 2012 года трёх партий бронемашин MSFV ( Mobile Strike Force Vehicle ) для афганской армии — всего 514 бронемашин. В марте 2013 года командование сухопутных войск США заключило контракт стоимостью 113,43 млн долларов на поставку для афганской армии ещё 135 бронемашин MSFV, которые должны быть поставлены до февраля 2014 года ^{[47] [48]} . На октябрь 2017 года в афганской армии 255 МSVF ^[49]
• в сентябре 2011 года США передали военно-воздушным силам Афганистана три учебно-тренировочных самолёта Cessna 182T ^[50]
• в феврале 2013 года США заказали у компании «Watervliet Arsenal» 900 шт. 60-мм миномётов (общей стоимостью 5,9 млн долларов США), которые должны быть поставлены афганской армии по программе военной помощи ^[51]
• в марте 2013 года министр обороны Эстонии сообщил, что в 2014—2016 году Эстония передаст на развитие армии Афганистана 1,5 млн долларов (по 500 тыс. долларов в год). Такие же суммы должны перечислить Афганистану Латвия и Литва. Общий объём «союзнического пакета помощи безопасности Афганистана» составляет 16 млрд долларов ^[52] .
• в ноябре 2013 года стало известно, что грузинские военнослужащие участвуют в обучении афганской армии ^[53]

Часть вооружения поставляется через частные компании:

• так, в течение 2007 года основным поставщиком боеприпасов для афганской армии и полиции стала частная фирма «AEY Inc.» из США, с которой был заключён контракт стоимостью 300 млн долларов. В рамках контракта, в Афганистан поставляли боеприпасы со складов в Албании, Болгарии, Венгрии, Румынии, Чехии, Словакии и Черногории ^[54] .

• А. Пулатов. Вооружённые формирования Афганистана // «Зарубежное военное обозрение», № 1, 1996. стр. 20-24
• майор А. Казаков. Силы специальных операций вооружённых сил Афганистана // «Зарубежное военное обозрение», № 9 (798), сентябрь 2013. стр. 39-44
• Асташин Н.А. Афганистан: разбор негативных сценариев//Вестник МГИМО, № 2/2010, с.143-152.