Afghan AF rises to combat test

  • Published
  • By Capt. Anastasia Wasem
  • 438th Air Expeditionary Wing
KABUL, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  An Afghan national army soldier looks up from his post near Tarin Khowt in the Uruzgan Province. He's surrounded by rugged mountains, a flowing river, a green and vibrant valley and Taliban insurgents trying to overrun the area. The soldier, along with 39 other ANA commandos, is running low on ammunition and calls for emergency extraction. Afghan air force Mi-17 helicopters arrive, engage insurgents with suppressing air-ground fire and successfully retrieve the soldier and his team.

This scene would have been unimaginable just a year ago for the Afghan air force. However, with the beginning of the 2013 fighting season in Afghanistan, the Afghans and coalition partners alike turn to the AAF to provide the tactical elements of speed and range to the battlefield.

On the same day, another Afghan crew plans, coordinates and conducts an emergency casualty evacuation mission supporting wounded troops in restless Kunar province, and then returns to finish transporting 200 local police and 44,000 pounds of supplies to bolster governance in the region. Later overhead, an AAF airplane conducts its first reconnaissance mission in support of a ground corps' operational planning. And at the end of the day, the first female Afghan fixed-wing pilot successfully completes her final evaluation before graduation, soon to join an operational unit.

All of these missions are Afghan-planned, Afghan-tasked and Afghan-led. NATO advisors, who just months ago were heavily assisting these missions, are now increasingly advising from the background.

The commander of the AAF, Maj. Gen. Abdul Wardak Wahab, is determined to develop a merit-based, ethnic and gender balanced modern air force that excels on the battlefield now and transitions to being fully capable prior to 2017.

"We now have a clear vision and strategy for success," he explains, referring to the first Combined Strategic Flight Plan, an initiative he co-signed with his advising partners from NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan. "This is a plan with a timeline."

As recently as last year, the development of Afghanistan's air force airpower was largely dismissed as ineffective due to institutional weakness, high accident rates and lack of qualified aircrew. Maintenance challenges once grounded most of the NATO-supplied aircraft, destined to follow the former Soviet-supplied fleet that has deteriorated into boneyards across the country. Afghan National Security Forces seemed resigned to a lack of air support once coalition forces begin to draw down next year.

That impression has begun to change as the AAF has achieved a steady record of significant milestones. Included in this recent series of firsts are the first pilot graduates from Afghanistan in over 30 years, first all Afghan-led air assault mission, first AAF supported interagency mission, first fixed-wing CASEVAC mission, first air reconnaissance mission and first effective command and control system.

Most observers now assess that the AAF has begun to turn a corner in mission leadership, effectiveness and safety. In addition to being the most active period for flying to date, the first three months of 2013 were also the safest on record. As it emerged with tangible impact on the successful winter campaign, the AAF has increasingly provided effective air support under the initial tests of the 2013 fighting season.

"The Afghan Air Force's unprecedented progress is now growing from the inside out," said Wahab. "We are employing our force as well as we are developing it."

Following the success of the winter campaign, the AAF increased effective support by over 60 percent in the first three months of 2013 alone, airlifting more than 9,400 troops and police, more than 642,000 pounds of equipment and humanitarian supplies and executing 192 emergency CASEVAC missions. Current execution of air support requests for ground units is at more than 83 percent with a mission effectiveness rate of more than 80 percent. Moreover, the trend appears to continue upward, as the AAF begins to develop critical new capabilities in air reconnaissance, air attack and air assault across six different bases and detachments.

These offensive capabilities have been critical to security operations across the country, especially around Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban. The AAF's first certified air assault missions and interagency support missions began in late 2012 at the Kandahar Air Wing.

"Air assault is one of many complex skills that the Kandahar Air Wing offers and is very important to the Afghan military," stated Col. Attaullah, the 379th Rotary Wing Squadron commander. "These types of missions greatly support the Afghan National Army. Inserting forces at the exact right time surprises the enemy and denies their opportunity to respond."

To the west in Farah city, as local authorities responded to a major insurgent attack on the courthouse April 3, the AAF Mi-17 helicopter and Cessna 208 response from the AAF unit in Herat was central to the success of the insurgent suppression.

"This was a tremendous effort," Lt. Col. Toryalai, Herat Detachment Air Operations officer said, "But one for which our crews are constantly on the ready."

AAF pilot Lt. Hhalid Ahmady, flew four CASEVAC missions and troop airlifts, bringing back 28 visibly tired commandos worn from intense combat operations.

"As an Afghan Air Force pilot, nothing makes me happier and more proud than supporting our ground troops to fight against an enemy whose only goal is killing innocent people and destroying my beloved country," stated Ahmady. "I am really proud that I am a member of a team that puts their lives on the line on order to bring peace to our country."

By the conclusion of the operation, the AAF had moved 120 combat troops, 21 CASEVAC patients, including several injured judges, and executed the dignified transfer of six fallen comrades.

In the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, currently the site of the highest number of insurgent attacks, the Kabul Air Wing support has quickly grown remarkably robust. On April 12, following an insurgent attack, the AAF Detachment at Jalalabad was able to plan, brief and launch aircraft within 50 minutes in order to provide emergency supplies to Outpost Farid Ahmad.

"It was quick and efficient," said Maj. Marcus Janecek, NATC-A Detachment 1 commander and advisor at Jalalabad. "And coordinated command and control enabled the rapid execution of an important mission."

Of particular focus, CASEVAC missions, considered critical to sustained ground unit morale and success, have made dramatic progress.

"The Afghan Air Force medics are now more familiar than ever with CASEVAC equipment and procedures," said Col. Abdul Rasoul Mayel, AAF surgeon general. "With continued increase in training and equipment we'll be able to maintain and sustain the successes we've seen recently."

As recently as October 2012, the average response to battlefield wounded averaged 72-hours from the emergency call to medical treatment facility arrival. Currently, the AAF has honed its process down to under three hours, approaching NATO standards.

"CASEVAC capability is like a vitamin boost to the medical community," said Col. Michael Paston, NATC-A surgeon general. "The Afghan Air Force has recently created standardization throughout the medical community that will continue to foster growth, development and professionalism in the future."

With 2013 marking the first year that the Afghan National Security Forces are leading the fight, and the first year that airpower is part of the campaign plan, the present outlook for the AAF is increasingly positive from Afghans and coalition forces alike.

"The Afghan Air Force now has real confidence and momentum as it grows to full capability," summed up Brig. Gen. Steve Shepro, NATC-A commander. "As we continue our close partnership, and build up important close air support and night operations, the AAF's most important asset remains its Airmen that continue to develop and excel. The original goal was to see a fully-capable AAF by the end of 2017; it's now apparent that it can beat that."

After a more than six-hour long firefight, the AAF safely returns the ANA soldier and his comrades to base. With the airlift capabilities and skills of the AAF, the battle-worn commandos and their AAF partners are able to go home, rest and continue the fight knowing that the AAF will be up to the next challenge.