28 May 2013 by Abdul Wali Arian - tolonews.com
The United Sates has committed that it will buy 20 fighter jets for the Afghan Air Force, the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) Spokesman, Brigadier General Gunter Katz told TOLOnews on Tuesday.
The Isaf spokesman said that all Isaf member countries including the US are trying hard to equip and empower the Afghan Air Force.
The Afghan Government is also putting extra effort to own an equipped and powerful air and land forces in order to provide security for the country. The Afghan forces are currently facing lot of challenges and shortfalls.
"We know that the Afghan people are concerned about the equipment for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). And yes indeed, we already provided lot of equipments for the ANSF. But we have to acknowledge that there are still some shortfalls and we always said that individual nations sit together, discuss with representatives from the Government and the army how to overcome those shortfalls. And one example of those negotiations is the recent announcement of the US Air Force that declared that they are willing to buy 20 fighter air planes for the Afghan Air force," Isaf Spokesman, Brigadier General Gunter Katz told TOLOnews.
It is said that the Afghan security forces are facing lot of challenges even in the transportation section and it will take some more time, when the Afghan Air Force will independently lead air operations.
But, the Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) believes that some of the challenges will be dealt with when the Afghan forces receive these fighter planes.
"The US has committed that 20 fighter planes will be given in the current year (2013). The fighter planes will be used for two operations: bombardment missions and discovery missions," MoD Spokesman, General Zahir Azimi told TOLOnews.
The shortfalls and inabilities of the Afghan security forces have cost them heavily. Because of the shortfalls it hasn't been able to carry out air operations independently. The MoD also accepted the shortfalls.
"Isaf in coordination with us is carrying out several operations within Afghanistan and we hope to become competent soon," General Zahir Azimi told TOLOnews.
MoD expects that Afghan military forces will be equipped with fighter planes, transport planes and drones within few years.
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