Monday October 24, 2016
Kabul (BNA) The NATO-Resolute Mission (NATO-RS) said it has started training of the Afghan air force, and would continue the mission after 2016 to help them raise their capacity in war on insurgency. The program would cover the small air-crafts’ pilots to be enable to precisely shoot terrorists targets, Colonel Andy Johnson, one of the Afghanistan-based US force advisors told media the other day. The Afghan air raids can precisely shoot their targets, but no enough support they receive from the ground troops, he said. “When a pilot is with less air distance from the ground, where the enemy are operating, he/she can target their trenches crucially, but with higher air distance, this would be too difficult, so there is a need for the ground forces’ help to shoot the enemy’s target,” he said adding the NATO-Resolute Mission would remain committed to continue training and supporting the Afghan air-force, after 2016. Meantime, Afghan analysts believed nothing tangible had been still done over the past 14 years of the international forces presence in Afghanistan, so there is a dire need of the NATO mission to continue providing training and support to the Afghan forces after the outgoing year, particularly in term of air support.
“What is the most importance for the Afghan forces, providing training and equipment of the afghan securer forces, particularly, air forces by the NATO resolute mission in the country,” said Jawid Kohistani who added something required by the Afghan forces were supply of mortars, military tanks, heavy weapons, helicopters, which are the basic need of the Afghan forces. Zalmai Ehsas, another military expert believed, the NATO resolute mission should provide the Afghan forces with heavy and sophisticated weaponries and if over the past more than 14 years, the country’s air-force was fully trained and equipped, the air operations would prove successful in pummeling the militants. In the meantime, Afghan citizens believe the Afghan air force might have been trained and equipped and provided with enough air military facilities in the last many years of the international coalition presence in the country. Mihiddin a retired officer said the country’s security forces are fully trusted among the Afghans and should be provided with sufficient military equipment to could suppress the enemy. Another Afghan citizen, Hashem said Afghanistan was at the first line of war on terror and there is a need for the international community’s attention in this field. The fresh NATO-Resolute Mission (NATO-RM) is expected to do more in securing the Afghan forces with enough ground and air support in order to remain effectively responsive to the growing security threats in the country.
Suraya Raiszada
