The Human Cost Of War: Examining The Toll On Pilots In Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan has resulted in the deaths of many pilots. The Taliban has been responsible for the deaths of several Afghan pilots, with a deliberate strategy of assassinating pilots off-base to weaken the US-backed government's air advantage. At least seven pilots were killed off-base in 2021, and more have been killed since then. The Taliban has also targeted aircraft, with numerous crashes and incidents involving helicopters and planes. The US military has also lost pilots during the war in Afghanistan, with crashes and shootdowns resulting in fatalities. The Afghan Air Force suffered a chaotic collapse in 2021 as the Taliban advanced, with pilots and aircrews fleeing the country along with their families.

The Taliban's campaign to assassinate pilots off-base

The Taliban confirmed its campaign to target Afghan Air Force pilots, stating that they would be "targeted and eliminated because all of them do bombardment against their people." This campaign is an attempt to level the playing field as the Taliban lacks an air force and the Afghan Air Force has been crucial in holding back the Taliban's nationwide advance.

The assassinations of pilots have significant implications for Afghanistan's military capabilities. Pilots are highly valuable assets, taking years to train and hard to replace. With each loss, Afghanistan's defenses suffer an outsized blow. The killings also contribute to the deteriorating morale of the Afghan forces, which experts say could be critical in preventing the collapse of the military.

The Taliban's targeted killings of pilots occur as the group makes territorial gains and the security situation in Afghanistan deteriorates. The Afghan Air Force is under increasing strain, with its aircraft overtaxed and flying beyond their recommended maintenance intervals. The loss of pilots further diminishes the Afghan Air Force's ability to conduct crucial missions such as bombing raids, medical evacuations, and troop transports.

The Afghan government has not publicly disclosed the number of pilots assassinated, and efforts are being made to protect pilots and their families by relocating them to safer areas. However, the Taliban's campaign continues to pose a significant threat to the country's military personnel.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan

The withdrawal was not without controversy, with Biden facing scrutiny from predominantly Republican lawmakers. The evacuation was chaotic, with thousands of Afghans who had aided US forces left behind. The US also faced criticism for not doing enough to evacuate Afghans who had worked closely with US and international agencies.

The withdrawal was completed on August 30, 2021, with the last US service member leaving Afghanistan. This marked the end of a two-week withdrawal process during which over 120,000 people were evacuated.

The aftermath of the US withdrawal saw the Taliban regain control of the country, with the group taking over the capital, Kabul, and forming a government. This led to a refugee crisis, with many Afghans fleeing the country. There were also fears that Afghanistan could once again become a safe haven for terrorists, a fear that was realised when al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was discovered in Kabul and killed in a US drone strike.

The US withdrawal also had a significant impact on the Afghan Air Force, which relied heavily on US support. The force collapsed following the withdrawal, with pilots and aircrews fleeing the country along with their families. The US military also left behind billions of dollars' worth of equipment and hardware, much of which was rendered inoperable.

The collapse of the Afghan government and the return of the Taliban to power had a devastating impact on Afghan civil society, with women and girls being cut off from public life and education. The economy also collapsed, with the country facing a humanitarian crisis and "universal poverty".

The collapse of the Afghan Air Force

The Afghan Air Force was built in the image of the U.S. military, with a focus on airpower and technology. This approach was criticized as the Afghan Air Force was left unable to maintain its aircraft and equipment without U.S. assistance. The U.S. decision to transition the Afghan Air Force to U.S.-made UH-60 Black Hawks, for example, pushed back the force's self-sufficiency by over a decade to 2030.

The withdrawal of U.S. forces also had a significant impact on the morale of the Afghan Air Force. The U.S.-Taliban agreement and the subsequent withdrawal eroded morale, with many Afghan soldiers viewing the U.S. troops as a force that would hold the Afghan government accountable. The absence of U.S. support removed one of their primary motivators to keep fighting.

In addition, the Afghan Air Force lacked support in many parts of the country due to corruption and abuse. Provincial police tactics were described as "arrest, bribe, and release." The rank and file Afghan Air Force also lacked esprit de corps, with low morale being a problem for years. The Taliban, on the other hand, had high morale as a volunteer army fighting for religious beliefs.

The combination of these factors led to the collapse of the Afghan Air Force. Pilots and aircrews fled the country, with more than a quarter of the nation's fleet ending up in neighboring Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Taliban also hunted and assassinated Afghan pilots, further weakening the force.

The Taliban's targeted killing of Hamidullah Habibi

Habibi's death was part of a broader Taliban campaign to assassinate U.S.-trained Afghan pilots, aiming to destroy Afghanistan's corps of U.S.- and NATO-trained military pilots. This campaign was confirmed by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who stated that Afghan Air Force pilots would be "targeted and eliminated" as they were conducting bombardments against the Taliban.

The Taliban's deliberate strategy to weaken the U.S.-backed government's air advantage by assassinating airmen off-base resulted in the deaths of at least seven pilots in a series of targeted killings before Habibi's killing. Habibi's death dealt a significant blow to the Afghan Air Force, which played a crucial role in holding back the Taliban's nationwide advance.

The U.S. had spent billions building the Afghan Air Force, giving Kabul an edge over Islamic insurgents with bombing raids. However, the force remained dependent on American partners for critical functions like aircraft maintenance and logistics, and the withdrawal of U.S. support in mid-2021 left the Afghan Air Force vulnerable. The rapid disintegration of the Afghan Air Force exemplified the broader failures of the 20-year U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

As the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan, pilots and aircrew fled the country, with over a quarter of the nation's fleet ending up in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Taliban managed to repair some aircraft, believed to be flown by pilots from the former government forces. The new Taliban government expressed aspirations to build its own Air Force but has struggled to attract U.S.-trained Afghan pilots, who remain fearful of their former adversaries.

The evacuation of Afghan pilots to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 saw thousands of Afghans attempting to flee the country. Among them were hundreds of Afghan Air Force pilots and crew members who escaped to neighbouring countries, including Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Evacuation to Uzbekistan

On 15 August 2021, 22 military planes and 24 helicopters of the Afghan Air Force fled over the border to Uzbekistan, carrying 585 Afghan personnel. The Taliban had been applying pressure on Uzbekistan to return the pilots and the aircraft. Uzbekistan, which has maintained relations with the Taliban, was concerned about inflaming relations and urged Washington to take the pilots to a third country.

Evacuation to Tajikistan

On 16 August 2021, more than 140 Afghan Air Force pilots and crew members fled to Tajikistan, with early reports mentioning around 18 aircraft. The pilots and crew members were detained in a hotel complex by Tajik authorities and spent weeks incommunicado, unsure if they would be returned to the Taliban. They complained of poor conditions, insufficient food rations, and limited medical care.

Evacuation to the United Arab Emirates

In November 2021, the U.S. evacuated more than 140 Afghan Air Force pilots and crew members from Tajikistan to the United Arab Emirates. In December 2021, a group of Afghan pilots who had fled to Uzbekistan were transferred to a U.S. military base in the United Arab Emirates.

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