Afghan Air Force

Following the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Afghan Air Force (AAF) effectively disintegrated. Its successor, the Islamic Emirate Air Force, is a nascent and opaque organization built from the remnants of the previous force.

Before the government's fall, the AAF was structured around four main air wings located in Kabul, Kandahar, Shindand, and Mazar-i-Sharif. Its doctrine was shaped by two decades of COIN (counter-insurgency) operations, focusing on providing air support to ground forces, casualty evacuation, and limited airlift capabilities. This was heavily dependent on contractor logistics support (CLS) for maintenance and a steady supply of precision-guided munitions for its most advanced platforms. The A-29 Super Tucano, equipped with laser-guided bombs, and the AC-208 Eliminator, armed with guided rockets, provided the main precision strike capability.

In August 2021, a significant portion of the AAF's operational aircraft were flown out of the country by fleeing pilots. An estimated 46 aircraft, including A-29s, UH-60 Black Hawks, and Mi-17s, were relocated to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, depriving the new regime of its most skilled personnel and a considerable part of its air assets.

The current Taliban-led air force inherited a variety of airframes, many of which were rendered inoperable by departing coalition forces or were unserviceable due to a lack of maintenance. The new force's strategic doctrine is not publicly defined, but initial actions suggest a focus on utility and transport. There is evidence of the Taliban operating captured Russian-made Mi-8/Mi-17 and American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The new government has stated its intention to rebuild the air force and has attempted to recall former US-trained pilots. In early 2022, the Taliban's ministry of defense claimed to have repaired some previously unserviceable aircraft and has since publicly requested the return of the aircraft that were flown to neighboring countries. However, the actual operational status and sortie rates of the current force remain difficult to ascertain due to a lack of reliable public information.