The story of the Afghan pilots who desert to the Taliban with the Black Hawks

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But when the Taliban attempted to choose Kabul last 12 months, he selected to fly a helicopter to the militia group.

He is in all probability the only previous Afghan armed forces pilot to do so.

“My target is to defend Afghan property,” he advised the BBC.

Mohammed Edris MomandMomand is a find pilot qualified by the United States.

Momand joined the Afghan Military in 2009 and traveled to the United States to undertake a four-12 months education system with the American Army Academy recognised as West Place.

He was informed it would expense $ 6 million to teach helicopter pilots in the United States. Momand stated he was grateful for this option and was very proud when he first flew sortie its initially operational plane in the United States.

“I’m so happy and enthusiastic. I cannot feel this is going on in my existence,” he claimed.

At the finish of the coaching period of time, he was only in a position to go household and fulfill his household once again.

In the beginning, he was assigned to Herat in western Afghanistan, where by he flew the Russian-designed Mi-17 helicopter. A handful of decades later on, he had a different prospect.

“At the finish of 2018, a compact team of pilots who acquired the most recent technological innovation were chosen to fly the Black Hawk helicopter. Considering that then, I have piloted the Black Hawk.

These military services helicopters are utilized for refueling and transport missions.

Mohammed Edris MomandMomand flies many styles of helicopters in the Afghan Air Pressure

About the several years, the United States and its allies have poured tens of billions of bucks into schooling and equipment for the Afghan military services in hopes that they can fight the Taliban when foreign forces leave.

But that hope is just wishful thinking.

Afghan forces dropped management of the region as soon as the Taliban attacked with astonishing speed immediately after President Biden sent a speech in April past calendar year, designating 9/11 as the working day US troops will depart the nation. ‘Afghanistan.

In July, just as Afghanistan was in turmoil, the day was brought ahead to August 31. That date way too was then accelerated to the speed of the Taliban attack.

On 6 August, the very first provincial capital was taken above by Taliban militants.

Town following town fell into the hands of the Taliban, prior to the group took regulate of Kabul with out a retaliatory attack on August 15.

BBC

The Afghan armed service, experienced and intensely armed, collapsed. Afghan leaders fled abroad, together with tens of hundreds of citizens and foreigners in the country.

President Biden criticized users of the Afghan government who fled and stated their armed forces “gave up, generally devoid of making an attempt to fight again.

Mohammed Edris MomandMomand claimed he will serve his place right up until the day he dies

For Momand, his loyalty was very clear.

He recollects being on obligation at the Kabul Air Foundation on August 14th. The condition is extremely tense as the Taliban have manufactured their way into the borders of the funds. Phrase unfold about politicians and military services leaders scheduling to flee.

Kabul Airport is however beneath US navy command, but how prolonged they will handle to keep is a huge question mark.

“Our air pressure commander purchased all pilots to fly overseas. He requested us to go to Uzbekistan, Momand recalled.

He bought indignant at the get and made a decision to disobey him.

“My commander forced me to betray my region, why ought to I obey that get?

Mohammed Edris Momand Momand claimed he took his village back by helicopter following consulting with his father.

Momand then questioned his household for advice. He said his father would not forgive him if he flew abroad and warned: “The helicopter belongs to Afghanistan.

The location of ​​residence of Momand, in the eastern province of Kunar, fell to the Taliban. His father then spoke to the area govt, who confident him that he would not be damaged if the helicopter was brought into his village.

Momand then arrived up with a program but 1st experienced to get rid of his crew.

“Each and every Black Hawk has a crew of four. I know I can not rely on them with my programs. I’m confident they will not likely agree. They could risk my existence or even destroy the helicopter.

So he devised a tactic to deceive them.

“I informed the air power commander that this helicopter had a technical problem and I could not fly. When they read my apology, the a few crew members boarded one more helicopter that was currently completely ready to fly to Uzbekistan.

Immediately after all the other helicopters had taken off, Momand started off the engines and commenced a 30-moment solo flight to Kunar.

“American troops managed air website traffic handle. So I radioed them that I was leaving for Uzbekistan. Right after leaving the airport, I turned off the radar and headed for Kunar.

“I landed in the village, in close proximity to my household. Right after receiving assurances from the Taliban, I took the helicopter to where I had refueled before.

He reported his relatives, pals and neighbors fully supported his decision.

Momand said he did not regret his actions. He experienced the prospect to go away Afghanistan with his wife and youngsters, but he made the decision to remain.

“Some Us residents texted me a few moments. They said that even if I failed to return the helicopter, I could acquire my spouse and children and be evacuated. But I failed to just take the supply.

By the conclude of June 2021, the Afghan Air Drive was operating 167 aircraft, including fighter helicopters and warplanes, according to a report introduced by the US-centered Particular Inspector Typical for Reconstruction of Afghanistan (Sigar).

Some of these aircraft were flown by Momand’s companions. Investigation of satellite pictures at Uzbekistan’s Termez airport, on August 16 there have been a lot more than two dozen helicopters there, including a variety of Mi-17s, Mi-25s, numerous Black Hawks, and A-29 and C light-weight fighters -208.

American forces have performed every thing doable to sabotage most of the planes and helicopters remaining in Kabul.

It is unclear how numerous are however operational in Afghanistan now.

“We now have 7 performing Black Hawk helicopters. Afghan specialists with minimal resources have managed to restore it. We will gradually maintenance an additional Black Hawk,” Momand explained.

Momand did not truly feel at all that he experienced deserted his companions. Rather, he blamed them and reported that a single of the factors Afghans misplaced so a great deal was merely that they followed orders to depart the country.

“Those who fly by helicopters to Uzbekistan have disappointed this state. Helicopters belong to this country and are extremely highly-priced. There is no way to get them back.

Momand also observed no contradiction in his act of flying a helicopter towards the Taliban, owning been qualified by the United States to combat this team.

“Governments are normally modifying. People like us provide the country. The navy should not be associated in politics. This place has invested so much in folks like me.

Even even though the Taliban have been in electricity for a 12 months, no place in the environment has recognized them as the official governing administration of Afghanistan.

Even so, Moman stood still.

“I will continue on to provide my state, until eventually the conclude of my existence.

See also the movie “The Taliban celebrates a 12 months in which the United States leaves Afghanistan”:

[Gambas:Video 20detik]

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