The Perspective of Australian Defence Minister Pyne

10/06/2018
Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, travelled to the Middle East on 26-27 September where he spent time with Australian troops, and met key leaders in Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates. Minister Pyne was accompanied by the Chief of the Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, AO, DSC. …

RAAF Working with Afghan Air Force

09/05/2018
A contingent of Australian advisors is embedded within Train Advise Assist Command – Air (TAAC-Air) at Forward Operating Base Oqab in Kabul, Afghanistan. The mission of TAAC-Air is to support Afghan Air Force counterparts to develop a professional, capable and sustainable Air Force.  The ADF members of TAAC-Air work alongside…

The Afghan Air Force Strikes Taliban with Laser-Guided Bombs

04/02/2018
KABUL, Afghanistan (March 27, 2018) – On March 22, the Afghan Air Force tasked the A-29 squadron to destroy a Taliban compound in Farah. The Afghan attack pilots were equipped with both guided and unguided bombs, and elected to employ the GBU-58 laser-guided bomb to avoid collateral damage. The drop…

RAAF Mentoring in Afghanistan

03/08/2017
03/08/2017: Ten Royal Australian Air Force members are embedded at Train, Advise, Assist Command – Air (TAAC-Air) providing mentoring support to their Afghan Air Force counterparts in Kabul, Afghanistan. Around 270 personnel for the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force and Defence civilians are deployed on…

Re-birth of the Afghan Air Force: Options for the Way Ahead

02/14/2016
02/14/2016:  It is clear that at the critical point in the initial destruction of the Taliban, that the United States could have avoided a full blown engagement in Afghanistan. The problem with occupying a country with such a radically different culture from that of the United States will always be…

Arrival in Afghanistan of First Four A-29s

01/21/2016
01/21/2015: The sun was shining and the mountains around Kabul were clearly visible, when the first A-29 Super Tucanos touched down at Hamid Karzai International Airport. The A-29 is a light-support aircraft capable of conducting close air support, aerial escort, armed overwatch and aerial interdiction. Four A-29 aircraft arrived to intense…

First Ever All Afghan Air Crew C-130 Flight: The Preparation

06/25/2014
06/25/2014: The Afghan Air Force hit a huge milestone by completing the first ever all Afghan air crew C-130 flight June 16, 2014 in Kabul, Afghanistan.  Their mission consisted of cargo, CASEVAC and PAX transport. The Afghan Air Force has been working hard the last 11 months with U.S. Air…

First Ever All Afghan Air Crew C-130 Flight: The Take-off and Return

06/24/2014
06/24/2014: The Afghan Air Force hit a huge milestone by completing the first ever all Afghan air crew C-130 flight June 16, 2014 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Their mission consisted of cargo, CASEVAC and PAX transport. The Afghan Air Force has been working hard the last 11 months with U.S. Air…