America's Missile Offensive In Afghanistan: A Comprehensive Overview

The US has used missiles in Afghanistan on several occasions, including during the war in Afghanistan and more recently during an airstrike on Islamic State militants in 2021. In one instance, the US used a special Hellfire missile that employs blades instead of explosives to minimise damage.

In addition, the US provided Stinger missiles to Islamist fighters battling Soviet troops in Afghanistan during the 1980s. These shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles were critical to the success of the mujahedin fighters against Soviet forces. However, there are now concerns that these missiles could end up in the hands of terrorists or other countries.

The US used a special Hellfire missile in Afghanistan to target Islamic State militants

The US military has used a variety of missiles in Afghanistan over the years, including Hellfire, AGM-114 Hellfire, and cruise missiles. In August 2021, the US used a special Hellfire missile to target Islamic State militants in Afghanistan. This missile, known as the R9X, is unique in that it employs blades instead of explosives to limit damage and avoid civilian casualties. The R9X has a kinetic warhead that releases six large blades upon impact, shredding its target.

The use of the R9X Hellfire missile in Afghanistan was a response to the suicide bomb attack at the Kabul airport that killed 13 US soldiers and over a hundred civilians. The missile was fired from a MQ-9 Reaper drone, also known as a Predator drone, and successfully killed two Islamic State militants and injured a third. This strike demonstrates the US military's ability to carry out precise and targeted attacks to minimize collateral damage.

The Hellfire missile is a precision-guided munition primarily used for air-to-ground strikes and is considered the primary 100-pound class air-to-ground weapon for the US armed forces. It has been continuously developed and improved since its first deployment in 1982, with various variants introduced over the years. The R9X variant, specifically designed to minimize civilian casualties, was first deployed in 2017 and has been used in several targeted strikes against high-value targets.

While the US military has successfully employed Hellfire missiles in Afghanistan, there are concerns about the large number of US-supplied weapons left in the country during the withdrawal. These weapons, including small arms, ammunition, and vehicles, have fallen into the hands of the Taliban and are now being used in other conflicts, such as in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The influx of US-supplied weapons has the potential to fuel ongoing conflicts and pose a significant threat to regional stability.

US-made weapons left in Afghanistan are being used in Kashmir

The US left behind approximately $7 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan after its withdrawal in 2021. This included aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, military vehicles, weapons, and other materials.

Some of these weapons have been seized from militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir, further arming militants in the region. Militants from Pakistan-based groups Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have been found to be carrying M4s, M16s, and other US-made arms and ammunition. These weapons were likely obtained from the Taliban, who came into possession of them following the US withdrawal.

The US-made weapons in Kashmir are believed to have been purchased from the Taliban, who are selling leftover arms and ammunition. The Taliban's victory in Afghanistan has also given an ideological boost to radical militants in Kashmir.

While the US-made weapons are not expected to shift the balance of power in Kashmir, they give the Taliban a significant reservoir of combat power that can be sold to those with the means to purchase them. This poses a substantial threat to regional actors.

In addition to the weapons left behind in Afghanistan, the US also provided the Afghan government with $18.6 billion worth of equipment between 2005 and 2021. This included a variety of weapons, vehicles, and other military equipment.

The US left billions of dollars' worth of weapons in Afghanistan

The US left behind billions of dollars' worth of weapons in Afghanistan when it withdrew its troops in 2021. This included firearms, communications gear, and armoured vehicles. The Taliban seized the weapons following the fall of the Western-backed Afghan government, giving the hardline Islamist group a vast war chest.

The US military gave a total of $18.6 billion of equipment to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) from 2005 to August 2021. Of that total, equipment worth $7.12 billion remained in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal was completed on August 30, 2021. This included aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, military vehicles, weapons, and communications equipment.

Since the Taliban takeover, some of the American military gear and weapons have turned up in neighbouring Pakistan, where they have been used by armed groups, according to experts and security officials. Observers say the influx of US weapons has boosted the military capabilities of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group and ethnic Baluch separatist groups that are waging insurgencies against the Pakistani government.

The Pentagon told a US government watchdog that there is "currently no realistic way to retrieve the materiel that remains in Afghanistan, given that the United States does not recognize the Taliban as a government."

The Taliban's new arsenal does not include $80 billion in military equipment, 22,000 Humvees, and 33 Black Hawk helicopters. At the moment, it appears that the Taliban actually acquired 10 inoperable Black Hawk helicopters, about 2,000 vehicles (many of which were demilitarized), and a number of other weapons totalling less than $10 billion.

The Taliban have also been seen parading through the streets of Afghanistan in US armoured vehicles that were first provided to the Afghan army. The US left 23,825 Humvees in Afghanistan, including armoured gun truck variants, and nearly 900 combat vehicles, officials said.

While the US-made weapons are unlikely to shift the balance of power in the Kashmir conflict, they give the Taliban a sizable reservoir of combat power potentially available to those willing and able to purchase it.

The US used anti-tank guided missiles in Afghanistan

The US has used anti-tank guided missiles in Afghanistan, with reports of their usage as early as 2020. These missiles are designed to hit and destroy heavily armoured military vehicles, and can be launched from aircraft, land vehicles, or infantry. The US has used AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, which are laser-guided and do not contain explosives.

In 2020, the Taliban reportedly used anti-tank guided missiles to down two Afghan National Defence and Security Forces helicopters in Helmand province. These missiles were likely supplied by Iran, according to US and Afghan officials.

In August 2021, the US used a special Hellfire missile to strike Islamic State militants in Afghanistan. The missile, fired from a Reaper drone in the Persian Gulf, killed two militants and injured a third individual.

The US has also used anti-tank guided missiles in Afghanistan as part of a broader military strategy. In September 2019, the US military dropped 948 munitions in Afghanistan, the highest number since October 2010. This increase in airstrikes was due to a breakdown in peace talks with the Taliban.

The US has left billions of dollars' worth of weapons in Afghanistan, including anti-tank guided missiles. These weapons have ended up in the hands of the Taliban and have been used in other conflicts, such as in Kashmir. The Taliban has also been seen parading US armoured vehicles in Kabul, which were first provided to the Afghan army.

The US used cruise missiles in Afghanistan to target an extensive terrorism training complex

On August 20, 1998, the US launched cruise missile strikes on targets in Afghanistan and Sudan. The target in Afghanistan was an extensive terrorism training complex, which was believed to be operated by Osama Bin Laden's organisation, al-Qaeda. The US had convincing evidence that al-Qaeda was responsible for the bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7, and that a meeting of members of an international terrorist network was imminent at the Afghan site when the missile attack occurred.

The US fired between 60 and 75 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Afghanistan at the Zhawar Kili Al-Badr camp complex in the Khost region. The complex included a base camp, a support camp, and four training camps. The US first fired unitary (C-model) Tomahawks at the Khost camps, aiming to attract militants into the open, and then launched a barrage of D-model missiles equipped with submunitions to maximise casualties.

The strikes were launched from ships in the Arabian and Red Seas and represented the most formidable US military assault ever against a private sponsor of terrorism. The operation was codenamed Operation Infinite Reach and was the largest US action in response to a terrorist attack since the 1986 bombing of Libya. It was also the first time the US acknowledged a preemptive strike against a violent non-state actor.

The strikes were justified by the US as acts of self-defence and retribution for the bombings of US embassies in East Africa. However, they were met with a mixed international response. While US allies and most of the American public supported the strikes, many across the Muslim world disapproved, viewing them as attacks against Muslims. The failure to kill Bin Laden also enhanced his public image in parts of the Muslim world.

The use of cruise missiles allowed the US to preserve secrecy and avoid the need for preparation that could have alerted Bin Laden. It also avoided the need to obtain permission to fly over regional allies' territories. Each cruise missile cost between $750,000 and $1 million, and nearly $750,000,000 in weapons was fired in the strikes overall.

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