Air Force to be completely equipped by 2016
16 January, 2013
KABUL: The Afghan air force is expected to be complete by 2016 in both equipment and staff training, Isaf spokesman Gen. Gunter Katz said. “Isaf will continue its enduring support [for the Afghan National Security Forces]. I can give you one area which is well known to you – it’s the air force. We had to start from zero and it takes just a while to build the air force. It’s not the weakness of Afghan National Security Forces, it’s normal,” Katz said. “We need to train those guys in particular in English language and it takes very long, you know, to train them on technical issues and pilot training takes a while. We expect the air force to be ready by 2016.” He also said Isaf and Nato welcomes the government’s decision to soon move into the fifth tranche of the security transition. “Karzai is in a position to announce the fifth tranche earlier, that means in spring. I think this what has been said and because of the progress Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) has made, this is something Isaf and Nato welcomes,” Katz’s comments come on the same day that President Hamid Karzai revealed that the US will purchase four cargo planes, 20 Mi-17 helicopters and intelligence-gathering drones for the Afghan air force by end of this year. End.
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