VIDEO The Taliban tested a captured helicopter: It can have hundreds of thousands of American weapons and vehicles in its hands! – Topky

Afghanistan is not the biggest problem: This country is supposed to be 50 times more dangerous for the whole world!

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan admitted last week that the United States did not have a “clear picture” of how much $ 83 billion in missing military inventory could now be in the hands of the enemy. According to the portal MailOnline however, the statistics are quite worrying.

The equipment that the US provided to the Afghan army, which is now likely to be in the hands of the Taliban, also includes 50,000 tactical vehicles, 1,000 mine-resistant vehicles and 150 armored personnel carriers. As for the air base, there are more than 160 aircraft and helicopters, including four C-130 transport aircraft, 23 A-29 Super Tucano turboprop attack aircraft, 45 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and 50 MD530 helicopters.

Helicopter test

Experts say it is not clear whether there is anyone in the Taliban’s ranks who could successfully fly any of them, but apparently decided to at least try some. A video entitled “Taliban tests captured Afghan UH-60” appeared on Twitter on Wednesday. The two men watch a minute-long recording as the machine moves through a dusty remote airport, probably located in Kandahar. Two cars can also be seen on the area. The helicopter did not leave the ground. It is not known if this is the same helicopter that the Taliban managed to detain on August 14.

“We did it, Joe!”

Video of Taliban reportedly taxiing a UH-60 Black Hawk around at the Kandahar airport pic.twitter.com/eebH8WzAkJ

– Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) August 26, 2021

The US has supplied a rich military arsenal

The United States has also donated at least 200,000 firearms to the Afghan military, including M24 sniper rifles, M18 assault weapons, anti-tank missiles, automatic grenade launchers, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. Between 2003 and 2016, the US bought 42,000 “light tactical vehicles”, such as Ford Ranger vans and trucks, to the Afghan security forces. Then 9,000 “medium-heavy tactical vehicles” and more than 22,000 Humvee vehicles. about $ 2.13 billion for Humvee cars alone, with an average price of $ 96,466 each (about € 82,000). Openthebooks.com Between 2007 and 2016, the United States provided 110 helicopters and 60 transport cargo planes to the Afghan security forces.

Afghan military officials reportedly left the country in about 40 different aircraft supplied by the United States. Help for Afghanistan has been $ 3 billion this year alone. According to MailOnline, the Afghan military also acquired 18 “intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance” aircraft, such as the PC-12, a cargo aircraft manufactured by the Swiss company Pilatus. Seven Black Hawk helicopters arrived in Afghanistan last month, according to Reuters, and some of them may now be in the hands of the Taliban. According to the Military Machine, each costs about $ 21 million.

Russia also announces losses

The Taliban captured more than 100 Russian-made helicopters, which are in various technical condition. However, with minimal access to specialized mechanics and spare parts, he will largely not be able to use them. Referring to the Russian state arms exporter, the news server informed about it on Wednesday The Guardian.

These are Mi-17s, export versions of Russian Mi-8 helicopters, which are manufactured in two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ud. A squadron of Mi-17 helicopters formed the backbone of the Afghan Air Force for years. They were regularly used to transport soldiers, ammunition and evacuate the wounded.

End of evacuation flights

In recent days, Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul has been one of the busiest transport hubs in the world. It is practically the only way out of Afghanistan where the radical Islamist Taliban movement has taken power. The United States plays a major role in the evacuation of diplomats and Afghan allied forces and their families. However, they intend to withdraw by August 31.

Source: SITA (Sgt. Jillian G. Hix / US Army via AP)

The extension of this deadline is rejected by both the Taliban and the United States. Repatriation flights are also organized by Britain, France and many other countries. They all agree that they will no longer be safe at the airport after the Americans leave, and they want to withdraw before the US military. At the same time, they admit that they cannot transport all those who would be entitled to it from Afghanistan in time.

France has announced that air evacuations from Kabul will end on Friday night. Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium announced the end of evacuation flights this morning. According to the White House, 82,300 people have been transported from Afghanistan since the evacuation began in mid-August, and there were fears that they would be in danger under the Taliban government.