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Tuesday 27 March 2018
Afghans soon to fly missions with Black Hawks from US

By RAHIM FAIEZ major repairs. and additional MD-530 at- the aircraft will be weap- the film "Black Hawk Down"
Associated Press The transfer of the Black tack helicopters to the Af- onized to provide close air about the 1993 Battle for
KANADAHAR, Afghanistan Hawks is part of broader ghan Air Force. support in battle. Mogadishu in Somalia.
(AP) — The U.S. military has According to Maj. Nick
been flying UH-60 Black Plante, TAAC-Air spokes-
Hawk helicopter missions in man and senior public af-
Afghanistan for years, but fairs adviser to the Afghan
the storied aircraft will soon Air Force, the Black Hawk
take to the country's battle- flight training lasts around
fields manned by pilots and 16 weeks. This includes six
crews from the Afghan mili- weeks for aircraft qualifi-
tary. cation training and then
The first group of Afghan 10 more weeks for mission
trainees is in the final phase qualification training. Be-
of instruction by U.S. advis- sides classroom studies,
ers at an air base in south- students perform take-offs,
ern Kandahar province, landings and emergency
as part of the process of scenarios with their instruc-
transitioning Afghanistan's tors as part of the training.
military from Soviet-era Mi- There are both young, inex-
17 helicopters to the U.S.- perienced pilots and crew
made Black Hawks. They members being trained, as
are scheduled to begin fly- well those with experience
ing missions in May. flying the Mi-17s.
"The Mi-17 that the UH-60 is More than 30 Afghan Air
going to replace is not sus- In this Sunday, March 18, 2018, photo, a US adviser, upper right, and an Afghan pilot, inspect a Force members are about
tainable as a helicopter, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter blade rotor system, at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. The U.S. mili- to start their second phase
so what we are doing, we tary has been flying UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter missions in Afghanistan for years, but the storied of training and most have
are giving to the Afghan aircraft will soon take to the country’s battlefields manned by pilots and crews from the Afghan had some of their instruc-
Air Force sustainable, very military. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) tion in the U.S., the Czech
highly capable and battle- Republic or the United
proven helicopters so that Arab Emirates.
they can take the fight plans for the expansion of Since November, 11 Black The UH-60 Black Hawk Soon after completing the
forward as they continue the Afghan Air Force. The Hawks have arrived at Kan- manufactured by Sikorsky last phase at Kandahar Air
to safeguard this country," Afghan government and dahar Air Field. By the end Aircraft was first entered Field, the students will be
said U.S. Air Force Maj. Ted the international commu- of the year, a total 28 cop- into service in the late 1970s introduced as UH-60 Black
Rogers, director of opera- nity, including the United ters will be handed over to as the U.S. Army's tactical Hawk pilots and special
tions for the 441st Air Expe- States and NATO, have the Afghan military, with a transport helicopter. Now mission operators.
ditionary Advisory Squad- stepped up efforts to bol- total 159 transferred by the a mainstay in militaries Lt. Massihullah Kakar, 25, in
ron. He called the transition ster its capacity and ca- end of the program in 2023. around the world, a version his first week of pilot training
"hugely important." pabilities and the U.S. is The aircraft have or will un- of the aircraft was modified in Kandahar after receiving
According to the Afghan spending $814 million on dergo engine upgrades, for stealth in the Navy SEAL initial training in the Czech
Air Force, it has 46 of the the seven-year effort. U.S. military officials said. raid on Osama bin Laden's Republic, said the main
Russian Mi-17 multi-mission Along with the Black Hawks, The primary purpose of the compound in Pakistan in things that ground forces
helicopters, of which 25 the plan includes the intro- aircraft will be for troop and 2011. The image of the air- need from Black Hawk mis-
are active. The rest are duction of AC-208 light at- cargo transport, including craft is ubiquitous in popu- sions are to be provided
unusable either because tack and surveillance air- evacuating casualties and lar culture, gaining fame timely reinforcements and
of scheduled overhauls or craft, A-29 attack aircraft remains. However, many of when it was featured in equipment.q

Russia expects deal with major rebel group in Syria's Ghouta

By BASSEM MROUE opposition areas they had ment at the Russian Gen- this request. Syria's pro-gov- assume control of state in-
NATALIYA VASILYEVA besieged for years. eral Staff, said he expects ernment Al-Watan daily stitutions in the town.
BEIRUT (AP) — Russia's mili- The town, controlled by the Russian troops to "take said the Army of Islam and A civilian committee rep-
tary said Monday it ex- powerful Army of Islam, is them out soon," and that the Russians have reached resenting Douma said in
pects to reach an agree- also home to tens of thou- the rebels have reportedly an "understanding," add- a statement released late
ment with a major Syrian sands of people, including indicated their willingness ing that each side will study Sunday after meeting Rus-
rebel group to arrange its many who were displaced to lay down arms. a draft agreement within sian officials that the nego-
exit from the last rebel-held over the past weeks of However, the Britain-based the next three days. tiations "are extremely dif-
town in eastern Ghouta in heavy fighting. Syrian Observatory for Hu- Al-Watan quoted Syrian ficult and no quick results
another key victory for Pres- Lt. Gen. Stanislav Gad- man Rights said there are legislator Mohammed Kheir should be expected."
ident Bashar Assad's forces zhimagomedov told Rus- divisions within the rebel Seiryoul, who is originally Talks with the Russians will
as they push to gain control sian news agencies on group over the negotia- from Douma, as saying that resume within three days,
of the region on the edge Monday in Syria that Rus- tions, with some hard-liners the understanding could it said. Douma-based op-
of Damascus. sia's military is in talks with refusing any talks with Rus- lead to an agreement to position activist Haitham
Douma is the only town on the Army of Islam to discuss sians. The Observatory said dissolve the Army of Islam. Bakkar said the town was
the eastern outskirts of the its withdrawal from Douma. some fighters asked to be During this period, its mem- subjected to some artil-
Syrian capital still held by Gadzhimagomedov, who allowed to go to the south- bers would hand over their lery shelling early on Mon-
rebels, after government is the deputy head of the ern province of Daraa, but heavy weapons and the day that wounded several
forces captured all other Chief Operational Depart- that the Russians rejected Syrian government would people.q