Military history of Afghanistan

Military of Afghanistan
Emblem of the Afghan National Army
Founded	1880s
Current form	2001
Service branches	Afghan National Army Afghan National Army Air Corps
Headquarters	Kabul
Leadership
Defense Minister	Abdul Rahim Wardak
Personnel
Military age	22
Available for military service	4,952,812 males, age 22 to 49, 4,663,963 females, age 22 to 49
Fit for military service	2,662,946 males, age 22 to 49, 2,508,574 females, age 22 to 49
Active personnel	90,000+ (May 2009)
Expenditure
Budget	$188.4 million
Percent of GDP	2.6%
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Current: United States Canada Historical: Soviet Union United Kingdom
Related articles
History	Military history of Afghanistan Soviet war in Afghanistan Military of the Republic of Afghanistan War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

The Military of Afghanistan is composed of the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Army Air Corps (formerly the Afghan Air Force), and scattered small-sized authorized militia forces. Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan has no navy. According to the New York Times, the army fields more than 90,000 troops and the national police numbers at least 80,000.

The Afghan military existed since the early 1700s, before the creation of the modern state of Afghanistan. During the 1700s and 1800s, the Afghan military was involved in several wars with Persia on its western border and British India on its southeastern border. The modern military force of the country was first organized in 1880s, when the country was ruled by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan. It was upgraded during King Amanullah Khan's rule in the early 1900s, and modernized during King Zahir Shah's rule from 1933 to 1973. During the Communist era, the army split into government-back soldiers and Mujaheddin rebels. By 1991, the military of Afghanistan became dysfunctional, dissolving into portions controlled by different warlord factions when President Mohammad Najibullah was forced out of power and the mujaheddin rebel groups took control over the country. This era was later followed by the Taliban take over, who established a military force on the basis of Islamic sharia law.

Following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, the military of Afghanistan is being reformed by the international community. Despite early problems with recruitment and training, it is becoming effective in fighting against the insurgent elements. As of 2007, it is slowly becoming able to operate independently from the US-NATO troops in the country, most of whom are now grouped under the International Security Assistance Force. The President of Afghanistan is the commander in chief of the military of Afghanistan, acting through the Afghan Ministry of Defense. The Afghan military is headquartered at the National Military Command Center in Kabul. In July 2009, the administration of US President Barack Obama announced they wished increasing Afghan troops and police to 400,000 units.

History

The Afghan military dates back to the early 1700s before the creation of the modern state of Afghanistan, when the Afghans rose in Kandahar and defeated the Persian Safavid Empire. During the 1700s and 1800s, the Afghan military was involved in several wars with Persia on its western border and British India on its southeastern border. Its first organized army (in the modern sense) was established in the 1880s, during the rule of Emir Abdur Rahman Khan.

Afghan royal soldiers of the Durrani Empire.

Traditionally, Afghan governments relied on three military institutions: the regular army, tribal levies, and community militias. The regular army was sustained by the state and commanded by government leaders. The tribal or regional levies - irregular forces - had part-time soldiers provided by tribal or regional chieftains. The chiefs received tax breaks, land ownership, cash payments, or other privileges in return. The community militia included all available able-bodied members of the community, mobilized to fight, probably only in exceptional circumstances, for common causes under community leaders. Combining these three institutions created a formidable force whose components supplemented each others strengths and minimized their weaknesses.

Afghan Infantry 1890s.

The military of Afghanistan, under King Amanullah Khan, defeated the British in the 1919 third Anglo-Afghan war. After the war ended, the reforming monarch did not see the need for a large army, instead deciding to rely on Afghanistan's historical martial qualities. This resulted in neglect, cutbacks, recruitment problems, and finally an army unable to quell the 1928-9 up-rising that cost him his throne. However, under his reign, the small Afghan Air Force was formed in 1924. The military of Afghanistan was reconstructed and improved during King Zahir Shah's reign, which reached a strength of 70,000 in 1933. Following the Second World War, the Soviet Union offered assistance to the Afghan government where the United States did not, and by the 1960s, Soviet assistance started to improve the structure, armament, training, and command and control arrangements for the military. The military reached a strength of 98,000 (90,000 army and 8,000 air force) by this period.

After the exile of King Zahir Shah in 1973, the new president, Daud Khan, forged stronger ties with the Soviets by signing two highly controversial military aid packages for his nation in 1973 and 1975. For three years, Afghan armed forces and police officers received advanced soviet weapons, as well as training by the KGB and Soviet commandos. Due to problems with local political parties in his country, President Daud Khan decided to distance himself from the Soviets in 1976. He made Afghanistan's ties closer to the broader Middle East and the United States instead.

The Palace Gate (Arg) in Kabul, a day after the Saur Revolution on April 28, 1978.

From 1977 to 1978 the Afghan armed forces conduced joint military training with the Military of Egypt. In April 1978 there was a coup, known as the Saur Revolution, orchestrated by the Soviets and members of the government loyal to the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). This led to a full-scale Soviet invasion, led by the 40th Army and the Airborne Forces in December 1979. Before the PDPA takeover, according to military analyst George Jacobs, the armed forces included "some three armored divisions (570 medium tanks plus T 55s on order), eight infantry divisions (averaging 4,500 to 8,000 men each), two mountain infantry brigades, one artillery brigade, a guards regiment (for palace protection), three artillery regiments, two commando regiments, and a parachute battalion (largely grounded). All the formations were under the control of three corps level headquarters. All but three infantry divisions were facing Pakistan along a line from Bagram south to Khandahar." After the coup, desertions swept the force, affecting the loyalty and moral values of soldiers, there were purges on patriotic junior and senior officers, and upper class Afghans aristocrats in society. Gradually the army's three armoured divisions (4th and 15th at Kabul/Bagram and 7th at Khandahar) and now sixteen infantry divisions dropped in size to between battalion and regiment sized, with no formation stronger than about 5,000 troops.

File:Evstafiev-afghan-apc-passes-russian.jpg

Soviet-backed Afghan troops in 1988.

Throughout the 1980s, the military of Afghanistan was heavily involved in fighting against the mujaheddin rebel groups who were largely funded by the United States and trained by the military of Pakistan. The rebel groups were fighting to force the Soviet Union to withdraw from Afghanistan as well as to remove the Soviet-backed government of President Mohammad Najibullah.

Following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan continued to deal with attacks from the Mujaheddin. For several years the government army had actually increased their effectiveness past levels ever achieved during the Soviet military presence. But the government was dealt a major blow when Abdul Rashid Dostum, a leading general, switched allegiances to the Mujahideen in 1992 and together they captured the city of Kabul.. Ali A. Jalali comments:

The fall of the Moscow-backed regime in 1992 disintegrated the state as well as the army. Bits and pieces of the fragmented military either disappeared or joined the warring factions that were locked in a drawn-out power struggle. The warring factions were composed of odd assortments of armed groups with varying levels of loyalties, political commitment, professional skills, and organizational integrity.

After the fall of Najibullah's regime in 1992, private militias were formed amongst the mujahideen rebel groups which also included former army and air force personnel. They received logistics support from foreign powers including Russia, Pakistan, Iran, People's Republic of China, Canada, France and the United States.

The Afghan Air Force was very significant before and during the Soviet intervention, but by the time of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the number of aircraft available was minimal. The United States and its allies quickly eliminated any remaining strength or ability of the Taliban to operate aircraft. With the occupation of airbases by American forces it became clear how destitute the air force had been since the withdrawal of the Soviet Union. Most aircraft were only remnants rusting away for a decade or more. Many others were relocated to neighboring countries for storage purposes.

Current organization

L-39 Albatross jets of the Afghan Air Force

Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak on the left sitting next to other senior officers of the military of Afghanistan.

After the removal of the Taliban government and its replacement by the current government of Hamid Karzai, there has been significant progress toward revitalization of the national military, with two official branches established. The Afghan National Army is under control of the Afghan Ministry of Defense in Kabul, which forms the basic military force. This is nominally to be supported by the Afghan Air Force, although that force currently has only about 45 aircraft. A variety of strong militias are active around the country, who are hostile to the government and NATO forces in the country, among them are also those loyal to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The Afghan National Army, trained primarily by the military of the United States, is presently organised into 31 Kandaks, or Battalions, 28 of which are considered combat ready. Five regional corps headquarters exist, but at present most Kandaks operate under American or NATO supervision. The National Army's total manpower is around 90,000, with 3000 new personnel being recruited each month. A National Military Academy of Afghanistan is being built up to provide future officers, seemingly on West Point lines.

ANA Chief of the General Staff, General Bismillah Khan on the left, and former U.S. Army General John Abizaid on the right.

The Afghan National Air Corps is largely inoperative, however some progress has been made in rebuilding it. A number of Mi-17 and Mi-24 Helicopters and AN-32 cargo planes are operated by the AAF and maintenance crews are being trained. The manpower of the AAF is around 3600, including 450 pilots, mainly trained during the Communist era. The Afghan National Air Corps also includes some female pilots. The air force will double in size to more than 65 refurbished tactical aircraft, paid for by the United States by 2011.

As of July 2005, more than 60,000 former militiamen from around the country have been disarmed. All heavy weapons from Panjshir, Balkh, Nangarhar were seized by the Afghan government. By October 2007, it was reported that the DDR programmes had dismantled 274 paramilitary organisations, reintegrated over 62,000 militia members into civilian life, and recovered more than 84,000 weapons, including heavy weapons. But the New York Times reported this information in the context of a reported rise in the number of hoarded weapons in the face of what has been seen as a growing Taliban threat, even in the north of the country.

Weapons and vehicles

MI-35 helicopters of the Afghan National Air Corps

Scud Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) of the Afghan National Army shown in the country's 2005 military parade in Kabul.

During the 1950s and 1960s Afghanistan received moderate quantities of Soviet weapons to keep the military up to date, including mainly PPSh-41 and RPK machine guns, Sukhoi Su-7, MiG-21 fighter jets, T-34 and Iosif Stalin tanks, SU-76 self-propelled guns, GAZ-69 4x4 light trucks of jeep class (in many versions), ZIL-157 military trucks, Katyusha multiple rocket launchers , and BTR-40 and BTR-152 armored personnel carriers. After the King Zahir Shah was driven into exile in 1973, President Daoud Khan made great attempts to create a strong Afghan military in the Middle east and Asia. During Daoud's Presidency (1973-1978) the Soviets supplied far more sophisticated weapons such as large numbers of AK-47 assault rifles, Mi-4 and Mi-8 helicopters, Su-22 and Il-28 jets. Large amounts of T-55, T-62, and PT-76 battle tanks were also used. Armored vehicles delivered in the 1970s included ZIL-135s, BMP-1s, BRDM-2s, BTR-60s as well as large quantities of small arms and artillery. In that time Soviets sended for Afghan Army UAZ-469s (kind of jeep), GAZ-66s military trucks.

Under the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978-1992), weapon deliveries by the Soviets were increased and included Mi-24 helicopters, MiG-23 fighter aircraft, ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" anti-aircraft self-propelled mounts, BTR-70s armored personnel carriers, BM-27 "Uragan" and BM-21 "Grad" multiple-launch rocket systems and FROG-7 and Scud launchers. Some of the weapons that were not damaged during the civil war and rule of the Taliban are still being used today, while the remainder have probably been sold on the black market.

Since 2001, the United States has been providing billions of dollars worth military equipment and facilities to Afghanistan. One military package from the United States to Afghanistan in 2007 include 2,500 Humvees, tens of thousands of M-16 assault rifles and body armoured-jackets. It also included the building of a national military command center as well as training compounds in several provinces of the country. The Afghan army will soon receive an additional 100,000 M16 rifles to replace the older AK-47s. Some special forces of the ANA are already using the M16s.

The US have also been largely responsible for the growth of the Afghan air corps, as part of the Combined Air Power Transition Force, from four aircraft at the end of 2001 to 32 as of early 2009. The aircraft are of Soviet/Russian origin, but either refurbished or purchased by the US. Types include Antonov transport aircraft, Mi-17 troop-carrying helicopters, and Mi-35 attack helicopters. The aircrew are being trained by an American team (soon to be headed by Brigadier-General Walter Givhan) but are not of a high standard as of early 2009, with none qualified for night flying or in poor weather. The American intention is to spend around $5 billion by 2016 to increase the force to around 120 aircraft.

In March 2008, the New York Times reported that in the past 12 months, the main supplier of munitions to Afghanistan’s army and police forces was a AEY, Inc., a company headed by a 22-year old, whose vice president was a licensed masseur. The Times reported that much of the ammunition was defective, and appeared to involve illegal arms dealing. The company obtained more than 100 million cartridges from stocks in Eastern European countries including Albania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Romania.

Canadian Forces will supply the Afghan National Army with surplus C7 assault rifles to bring the ANA up to NATO standards (CTV, CBC report on December 23 2007).

References and external Links

• Ali A. Jalali, Rebuilding Afghanistan's National Army, Parameters (journal), Autumn 2002, pp.72–86
• US sets up £215m deal for Afghan arms - from Russia
• In Depth News and Information on Afghanistan's Military