AAF retires An-32 transport aircraft, makes way for future

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

06.17.2011

Story by Vladimir Potapenko 

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan

AAF retires An-32 transport aircraft, makes way for future

By Petty Officer 2nd Class Vladimir V. Potapenko
NTM-A Public Affairs

KABUL, Afghanistan – As Afghanistan delves deeper into transition and development, so does its air force. Keeping in line with the theme of progress, the Afghan air force retired the Antonov An-32 transport aircraft at the Afghan air force base in Kabul June 17.

Though a loss to those who participated in the aircraft’s 20-plus year relationship with the Afghan military, the An-32’s retirement is a step forward for the AAF’s cargo/transport transition effort to more up-to-date aircraft such as the C-27.

The Afghan C-27 is a rugged, twin-engine turboprop aircraft with short take-off and landing capability. The Spartan is well suited for Afghanistan's mountainous terrain and limited road network. These obstacles make air power critical to the mobility of the Afghan national security force. A C-27 can carry up to 20,000 pounds of cargo and fuel and operate on unimproved airfields as short as 3,000 feet, which allows access to airstrips unreachable by most fixed-wing aircraft.

An older make and model than the An-32, the AAF’s C-27s have been refurbished with newer technologies incorporated. This fact is a boon to NATO Air Training Mission-Afghanistan advisers as they try to develop Afghan pilots on a level and system comparable to the international community of aviation.

“The decision was made several years ago to move toward a more western style aircraft,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Douglas Magoffin, an An-32 pilot adviser with NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan, in reference to the move away from the Soviet-era An-32. “We want to get them [the Afghan air force] to more of a world standard.”

The day following the aircraft’s retirement, AAF and coalition forces associated with the An-32 gathered on the flightline of the AAF Base in Kabul for a group photo, the last interaction many of the men will have with the aircraft.

An end of an era, Afghan airmen were left with one final shared experience as they assembled themselves into more photographable ranks.

“It’s all memories,” said AAF Capt. Halimkhan Rahimi, an An-32 flight engineer with 24 years of experience. “Thirty years of war since these aircrafts have come to Afghanistan, so it’s all memories.”

• Date Taken: 06.17.2011
• Date Posted: 06.20.2011 05:57
• Story ID: 72407
• Location: KABUL, AF