As the former Afghan Republic collapsed in mid-August 2021, numerous planes and helicopters departed from the airfield at Mazar-i-Sharif. The dramatic final flights of the Afghan Air Force ultimately transported them to Termez, Uzbekistan.
Three years later, the 46 Afghan aircraft that landed in Uzbekistan are now reportedly being handed over to Uzbek authorities. Out of these aircraft, 22 were small fixed-wing planes such as A-29s (also known as Super Tucanos), and 24 were helicopters, mainly Mi-17s, as well as UH-60 Black Hawk and MD-530 helicopters. The fixed-wing planes included six PC-12 single-engine passenger and light-cargo planes.
“This equipment was never Afghan, it belonged to the Americans. The Afghan Republic’s military used it, but we have always been the owners,” stated U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick in an interview with Kun.uz. When questioned about the fate of the aircraft, Henik confirmed, “It will remain in Uzbekistan. Yes, it is now official.”
Henik’s statement follows the news that a Colorado-based aerospace and defense company, Sierra Nevada Co., was awarded a $64.2 million contract to repair six PC-12s. The U.S. Department of Defense announced the contract on August 9, indicating that the work will be carried out in Uzbekistan and is expected to be completed by August 7, 2027. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Uzbekistan.
Although there is no mention of repairing the A-29s, it is important to note that Sierra Nevada Co. collaborates with Embraer on the production of A-29s in the United States. Back in 2018, the company was tasked with expanding Afghanistan’s A-29 fleet, with the work initially set to be finished by December 2024.
The Taliban-led government in Kabul has consistently opposed the transfer of the Afghan aircraft to Uzbekistan, as well as a small number of aircraft that landed in Tajikistan and were later moved to Dushanbe.
The Taliban’s acting Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob in January 2022 cautioned the governments of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan of potential “consequences” if they did not surrender the aircraft to Afghanistan. However, later that year, in September, he softened his stance towards the Central Asian governments but reiterated the Taliban’s claim that the aircraft rightfully belong to Afghanistan.
Yaqoob emphasized at the time, “The governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan claim that the Americans are preventing us from returning these helicopters to Afghanistan. We have engaged with Americans on this issue and informed them that these helicopters are the nation’s property and it is the right of Afghanistan, not someone else’s personal possession, to have them returned.”
According to a report by Tolo News, following Henik’s remarks about the fate of the aircraft in Uzbekistan, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense, Enayatullah Khwarazmi, strongly opposed the plan in an audio statement.
“The Ministry of Defense explicitly states that the United States has no authority to donate or seize the assets of the Afghan people. The government of Uzbekistan should refrain from any dealings in this matter, consider good neighborly relations, and make a wise decision by cooperating in the return of Afghanistan’s air force aircraft,” he declared.
Meanwhile, the Uzbek government, while engaging in diplomatic discussions with the Taliban on trade and transit issues, maintains that the disputed aircraft rightfully belong to the United States. Despite the Taliban government’s insistence that Tashkent should return the planes to Afghanistan, the likelihood of this happening seems extremely low.
In a May 2022 interview, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s special envoy on Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, informed VOA, “The U.S. government funded them… It supported the previous Afghan government. Therefore, we believe it is entirely up to Washington how to handle them… We have kept this military equipment in coordination with the U.S. and have conveyed this to the Taliban.”
The majority of the current Uzbek Air Force consists of Soviet or Russian aircraft. According to Flight Global’s 2024 World Air Forces directory, the Uzbek Air Force operates 38 MiG-29s, 20 Su-27s, and 13 Su-25s. In terms of combat helicopters, Uzbekistan possesses a total of 100, with 40 being Mil Mi-8s. The country also has 13 active transport planes.
The refurbishment and return to service of the six PC-12s, in particular, will enhance the capabilities of the Uzbek Air Force. However, as the Afghan planes are not of Soviet or Russian origin like the rest of the fleet, they may present maintenance challenges but also offer an opportunity for U.S.-Uzbek military cooperation.