India Delivers A Pair of Mi 24 Helicopters to Afghanistan

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday handed over a pair Mi 24 helicopters to Afghanistan aimed to strengthen the Afghan air force as it battles a deadly Taliban insurgency and against the backdrop of the United States looking to exit the war torn country after a 17 year stay.

A statement from the Indian embassy in Kabul said that the Indian ambassador to Kabul Vinay Kumar handed over the two helicopters to Afghanistan’s National Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid at the Kabul Air Force base. “These are a replacement for the four attack helicopters previously gifted by India to Afghanistan in 2015,” the statement said. “The Mi-24 helicopters shall boost the capability of the Afghan air force and enhance the effectiveness of the Afghan National Defence and Security Force in combating the scourge of terrorism,” the statement added.

“The helicopters were purchased from Belarus and were handed to the Afghan Air Force in an official ceremony attended by the acting Minister of Defence Asadullah Khalid, Indian ambassador, Afghan Air Force commander Abdul Fahim Ramin,” said a Twitter post from Khalid’s handle. “Two more of the same type will be purchased and supplied to the Afghan Air Force in order to make the areal operations more effective,” a second Twitter post from

According to news reports, the Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship, which can be used for assault and transport missions given that it can ferry up to eight troops or passengers.

The handover comes at a particularly crucial time for Afghanistan as the US is looking to exit the country more than 17 years after the launch of the war against terrorism. Afghanistan has been looking for alternative sources of funds and weapons to sustain it defence forces in the event of a US exit and the eventual drying up of international funds to steady the country.

While New Delhi has pledged and donated more than $ 3 billion in aid and reconstruction to Afghanistan, it has been reluctant to send soldiers to reinforce a US led multinational force. India’s reluctance stems from the fact that its embassy in Kabul and its consulates in other parts of Afghanistan have been targeted by terrorist groups like the Haqqani network that are seen as linked to the Pakistan-backed Taliban insurgents who are aiming to dislodge the Ashraf Ghani regime. Pakistan wants an Islamabad friendly government in Kabul that it can fall back on in times of hostilities with India. India on its part wants a government in Kabul that if not friendly, is at least neutral in its dealings with Pakistan and India. Though New Delhi is itself an importer of arms, it has been trying to source military hardware through third countries like Russia and Belarus to hand over to Kabul.

The US has been holding talks with the Taliban as it looks to leave the country. New Delhi is opposed to an interim administration in Kabul with the Taliban as part of the government and Afghan elections, scheduled for September, being postponed.

Source: LM

Image Courtesy:Sputniknews