hiya!

ok, so were doing rotors are we? 😉

Mi-24P in Kabul….this is pretty exciting as never seen an Afghan version of this Hind before now. I would guess these were donated by Russia (though i want to believe the DRAAF was given some 13373r hinds, I doubt it)

thanks for yet again another ausome image sainz! 😀 😀

best trained pilots in the world are Afghan pilots 😀

hiya

yea sainz, its a great picture!!!, circa 1984.

the ‘sand’ migs (another of which was in my above photo), were part of a batch delivered in 79 as part of modernisation. interestingly they were never repainted from their standard soviet export camo (compare with angolan or somalian). The PFs are a bit more interesting, where you see a 2 and 3 digit aircraft.

jabub ma man!!

truely ausome finds!!!!!!

for those interested:

L-39: 005 is old DRAAF, 0021 may be same as 0021 at sherberghan (I posted ages ago in same camo as 005), or it might have got a repaint in new russian style camo, 0023 is new wearing russian camo, and yes I can confirm they are flying 😀

yea the new jungle camo is a bit odd, there should still be some sand/brown hinds there I hope! eitherway, probaby better than the old scheme:

sicne were doin afghan, heres some that i prepaired earlier LOL

SU-22 at Shindand. while not a new find, this ones great for a wallpaper 🙂

muja vid of DRAAF su-22 releasing retarded ordinance

http://media.putfile.com/DRAAF-Su-22-17

found this little gem too: mig-21 with display. note the R-60s on teh inboard pylons (though i doubt these were ever employed by the DRAAF)

ah, gotcha 😉

hiya

interesting to know chaplin!

Its the same with Afghan Mig-19s reported by Bill Gunsten, different authors and Yeffim Gordon (probably from Bill Gunstens work! lol ). no photographic,account, squadron or serial evicence of them ever being in service espical for the high number quoted, not to mention it dossnt fit the timeline or doctrine.

luckily with the surfacing of miG-17PF photos, it seems we have a logical answer of misidentification. 😀

Hiya

I said id put up an amended history, so here it is!!

its not perfect or finished, but should give a much better idea than what i posted earlier (alot of which ive researched to be wrong! 😮 ) eitherway my finished articles will include a bit more and cover all the post 1950 fixed wing combat AC in Afghanistan + other bits and bobs, aswell as modelers notes to hopefully provide a decent guide to the Afghan Air force 🙂

Su-7 Fitter

The history of the Su-7 Fitter in Afghanistan is a long one, spanning nearly 30 years. The first delivery of 11 Su-7s occurred under King Zaher in 1969, to meet the needs of the rapidly modernizing Afghan Air force. Three were first publicly displayed in a flyby during a military parade on the 23rd of August 1969 during Jeshyn (independence) Celebrations. 1 The Aircraft were unpainted and carried the red/green/black triangular markings adopted in 1961 2, as well as two digit serials, which were painted on the forward fuselage in a red/orange and were numbered in the 70s range.

The Su-7 represented a technological leap forward for the Afghan Air Force. The ‘Fitter’, as it was known in the west, offered superior payload and speed over the Afghan MiG-17s and il-28s in being able to quickly respond to any air to ground role the Air Force required. The purchase of these airframes followed the military doctrine of the time, which was geared for a possible confrontation with Pakistan.

The soviet built airbase of Bagram would be the new home for Afghanistan’s Fitters. Situated north of the capital, Kabul, the Su-7s comprised the 321st APIB or Fighter-bomber regiment. They were the premier Aircraft of the Afghan air force at the time, and featured prominently in military displays. They became Iconic of Bagram AFB; which still carried a Su-7 as its gate guardian over 35 years later!
Over the next ten years the number of Su-7s in Afghanistan would increase, by 1978 2 Squadrons were operating out of Bagram and would soon see combat.

In April of that year, the government of Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan was on the verge of collapse. His repressive internal policies had won few friends, especially amongst the armed forces. By April 27 a coup to remove Daoud was underway by a rival faction of the PDPA (communist party). At this time Bagram was no longer under the authority of Daoud. As a result no Su-7s were dispatched to protect Kabul from the rival faction of the PDPA, infact the opposite would occur.

As key positions in Kabul fell, Daoud was forced to take refuge in the Presidential Palace. At 3:00 P.M. on April 27 twelve Su-7s and a similar number of MiG-21s were armed to deliver the final blow to Daoud. Su-7s began the air attack on the Darulaman palace, unleashing FAB-250 bombs,UB-16-57 rockets and cannon rounds. 45 Combat missions were flown by Su-7s that day, with eleven missions undertaken at night. Only one Su-7 was lost during the April Revolution, A pilot began to loose consciousness during takeoff and was forced to eject.

While the coup was a success and Daoud was removed, the subsequent Afghan government began to face increasing trouble in the Provinces.

Following the butchering of Soviet Citizens in the southern city of Herat, other provinces began to rebel against the government, whom quickly turned to its modernized armed forces to quash the uprisings.

Bagrams Su-7s were very active during 1979, conducting multiple operations across a number of provinces in north and east of the country. While The Su-7s range has always been a weakness it was sufficient enough to allow combat missions in the provinces to be undertaken direct from Bagram.

This was highlighted in November 1979 when a Pair of Su-7s operating over the far north province of Badakhshan, crossed the soviet border without realizing and attacked a Tadzhik settlement With HE bombs. The reason for this was that the pilots were not carrying maps and were visually cueing targets, something that could be described as haphazard at best!

During 1979 the first early variant Su-22 Fitters were delivered to Afghanistan eventually comprising a Squadron under the 321st. (Though numbers remained low for at least 5 years) In Addition a large number of Soviet MiG-21s and Su-17s were also operating out of Bagram, neither of which seemed to effect the use of the Su-7 for combat operations. One theory could be that the retraining of pilots and instructors in the Soviet Union took considerable time, also it has been recorded that Afghan pilots developed strong bond with their machines, and were hesitant to change.

By now Afghanistan’s Su-7s were sporting camouflage of varying type, centered around a two tone mid-brown/green scheme and three digit serials in the 400 range as well as the DRAAF roundel/star combination adopted in 1980.

Two Su-7 defections are known to have taken place, notably by Capt. Mohammed Nabi Karinzai in 1984 from Bagram. These are useful events in that they help confirm the Su-7s operational status, despite its age and growing obsolescence.

Either way operations continued against the Mujahadeen operating in Afghanistan’s diverse northeastern countryside.
In 1985 the story of Afghans Su-7s would take a new twist. During the year, around 20 of Shindand’s il-28 bombers were sabotaged by their personnel in an act of defiance, effectively destroying the 355th bomber regiment. The Afghan Air Force (DRAAF) now lacked a force in the south at a time when resistance in those provinces was strong.

Evidence indicates that
The Su-7s were relocated to Shindand during this time, either as part of the 321st or the 355th. This really could be described as the ‘changing of the guard’ for the Su-7, which had been superceded by members of the Su-22 family serving in the 321st at Bagram.

By 1986 it seems that there were no Su-7s left operating out of Bagram.

The most likely scenario is that from 1985 to 1988 there was a gradual withdrawal of the Su-7 from operational use at Shindand, as more pilots qualified on the Su-22, which proved popular in Afghan service. The condition of the Su-7s at Shindand varies allot, with a few aircraft wearing what can be described at late war multi colour camouflage which suggests that some airframes were still operating out of Shindand in the mid to late 1980s.

By the time the Communist government fell in 1992 so had the Su-7.Grounded by time, they would sit silently though the next 10 years of internal strife, as relics of a bygone era in Afghanistan’s History.

Modelers Notes:

(C)2006 Raymond biggs 😀 😀