What is Special Mission Wing?

What is Special Mission Wing?

“The Special Mission Wing or SMW provides the Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF) with the operational reach and manned Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance capability to support counter terrorism and counter narcotics missions.”

Where are the Afghan pilots now?

According to several of the pilots who spoke to ABC News, they are living on the run in safe houses and struggling to feed themselves while frantically trying to find a way out of Afghanistan as the Taliban continue to search for them.

How many airmen are in Afghanistan?

It served as the air component of the NATO Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan which was responsible for organising the Afghan Armed Forces. The AAF possessed about 183 aircraft in 2021 and over 7,000 airmen.

Did the US train Afghan pilots?

But hurdles to their success persist, despite a national shortage of commercial and military pilots and the $89 billion American taxpayers have already spent to train Afghan troops in the U.S. and abroad.

Do afghans have an Air Force?

12 SIGAR, Afghan Special Mission Wing; SIGAR, Afghan Air Force: DOD Met the Initial Date for Fielding UH-60 Helicopters, but the Program Is at Risk of Not Having Enough Trained Pilots or the Capability to Maintain Future UH-60s, 19-18-AR, January 2019; and SIGAR, Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and Security …

Does Taliban have Air Force?

After the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul during the 2021 Taliban offensive, the Taliban established the Air Force of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Air Force.

Does the Taliban have trained pilots?

The Taliban lack the training and maintenance systems to fly them, but there is a concern that they might try to force trained personnel to get them airborne. Colonel Faqiri escaped by flying into the Kabul airport and then leaving on a U.S. transport.

Did US train Afghan Air Force?

The United States did produce one highly effective program for training Afghan pilots and maintenance crews: the A-29 training program, which began in January 2015 at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs8_U488hag