RASC News Agency: The United States Department of State has announced that Washington has transferred ownership of several aircraft from the former Afghanistan military to Uzbekistan under a special program. In an email to Voice of America, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State confirmed that the ownership of some of these aircraft has been transferred to Uzbekistan under the “Excess Defense Articles” (EDA) program.
This program has historically allowed Washington to transfer surplus defense equipment to foreign governments or international organizations. The U.S. Department of State explained that this transfer agreement was made within the framework of our strong bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, and enhancing border security. Previously, in response to reports from local Afghanistan media on this matter, the Taliban’s Chief of Army Staff had stated that the United States should not gift others with what rightfully belongs to Afghanistan.
Fasihuddin Fitrat remarked, “These aircraft belong to Afghanistan; they are ours, and we will use every possible means to reclaim this right. We also urge Uzbekistan to consider good neighborly relations and reject such an act, which would involve accepting something unjustly taken by a powerful entity. It is entirely unacceptable for us that someone else’s right be given away.”
According to reports, in late August 2021, several Afghanistan military personnel, along with their families, fled to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan just hours before Kabul fell to the Taliban, using approximately 50 helicopters and aircraft. Earlier, Rob Lodewick, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, mentioned that 46 aircraft were in Uzbekistan and 18 in Tajikistan, including Mi-17 helicopters, UH-60s, as well as fixed-wing aircraft such as the PC-12, C-208, AC-208, and A-29.
Tajikistan has also not handed over the Afghanistan aircraft, and it remains unclear what decision will be made regarding them.
