Major A. Menshikov
Since the end of the 20th century, Afghanistan has been one of the most unstable states in the world. The main factors negatively affecting the situation in the country include the low level of its socio-economic development, the vigorous activity of religious extremist groups, as well as the withdrawal of most of the foreign military contingents from the country. The most pressing issue for the Afghan leadership at the present time is to prevent the seizure of power in the state by the armed opposition, which numbers up to 60,000 people. At the same time, its power structures, which carry out most of the activities under the guidance of foreign instructors and in cooperation with units and subunits of foreign military contingents, remain the guarantor and key instrument to prevent the negative development of the situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRA).
The gradual completion of the activities of the International Security Assistance Force in the IRA and the start of work in 2015 of the Resolute Support training mission led to a significant reduction (from 145 thousand in 2001 to 20 thousand people in 2015) of the grouping of foreign armed forces and, as a result, to the intensification of extremist activities of illegal armed groups throughout the country.
This circumstance predetermined the increased attention of the military-political leadership of Afghanistan to the creation of combat-ready national power structures capable of independently eliminating the terrorist threat.
The modern image of state institutions for ensuring the country's security was formed with the financial and military assistance of the Soviet Union (1970-1980), and since 2002 - under the influence of the United States and NATO countries.
Currently, the IRA's power structures include the armed forces, the Afghan National Police (ANP) and the General Directorate of National Security (GUNB).
The main components of the Armed Forces (Afghan National Army) are ground troops, Air Force and Special Operations Forces (SOF). Their total number is about 170 thousand military personnel. At the same time, the Army has more than 140 thousand people, the Air Force - about 6.5 thousand, the MTR - up to 10 thousand, the central apparatus and auxiliary commands - more than 14 thousand. The President of the country is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The main governing bodies are the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff, which carry out the administrative and operational control of the troops, as well as implement the state policy in the field of defense and military development.
The ground forces of the IRA are based on six army corps (22 infantry brigades), which in wartime are designed to cover the state border, repel enemy aggression, hold occupied areas, lines and positions, defeat groupings of troops that have invaded the country and seize enemy territory in cooperation with others. types of troops. At the same time, at the present stage, one of the main tasks of the units and subunits of the Army is to conduct counter-terrorist operations jointly with the Afghan National Police.
In addition, the combat strength of the ground forces includes the 111th division stationed in Kabul, a separate cargo support and escort brigade, and a separate security brigade.
The SV is armed with about 50 tanks (T-62), up to 200 armored combat vehicles (Ml13, BMP-1 and BMP-2), more than 1 thousand field artillery pieces and mortars (mainly D-30 howitzers, recoilless rifles and 82mm mortars). Depending on the combat mission, the conditions of use and the characteristics of the tasks being solved, the staffing strength of the formations and subunits of the ground forces is as follows: brigades - 4-4.6 thousand people, battalion - 650-850, companies - 140-160, platoon - up to 40.
Air Force include: three air wings, including one training, two separate air support squadrons, two separate air units and four separate air groups, as well as an aviation training center and the Kabul Military Aviation School. They are designed to provide air support to the actions of the ground forces and to ensure the transfer of personnel of the SV and special operations forces. The Air Force is armed with 24 aircraft (transport - S-130, Cessna 208V "Karavan", training - Cessna 182T) and 51 helicopters (transport - Mi-17, combat - Mi-35, training - MD-530F). Most of the aviation equipment is out of order or has almost completely exhausted its resource and needs major repairs.
Special Operations Forces- the most combat-ready elite formations and units of the armed forces, designed to conduct special operations through the integrated use of reconnaissance and sabotage formations in the theater of operations in order to cause significant damage to a potential enemy and undermine his political, economic, psychological and moral potentials. The main combat formation of the MTR is a division, which consists of two brigades of four battalions. The latter were transferred to the operational subordination of the headquarters of the army corps. The special operations forces are directly subordinate to the chief of the general staff of the country's Armed Forces. The Afghan National Police, being the main law enforcement agency of the country, is structurally part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic. Currently, in cooperation with other components of the Afghan security forces, ANP units and subdivisions are used primarily to combat terrorism, while police activities are carried out under the direct supervision of international specialists.
The total number of this structure is more than 140 thousand people. Structurally, the ANP includes permanent formations that are subordinate to the Deputy Minister of the Interior for Security, and attached components. The weapons and military equipment of the police are mostly outdated models, as well as transferred by foreign states as part of the provision of military assistance.
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General Directorate of National Security of Afghanistan- a special service that, within the framework of its powers, carries out state administration in the field of ensuring the security of the IRA, protecting and protecting the state border, and also coordinates the activities of counterintelligence agencies.
In addition, a significant part of the forces and means of the GUNB is involved in neutralizing extremist gangs in Afghanistan and preventing the transfer of militant groups, weapons and ammunition to the country's territory. This structure consists of the central office and regional departments, their staff number is about 20 thousand people.
At present, the state of combat readiness of the Afghan Armed Forces, as well as the API and GUNB, is at a low level. Power structures (about 330,000 people in total) in the context of the withdrawal of the main part of foreign military contingents from the country, as well as taking into account the significant reduction in financial assistance from abroad, are not able to independently solve the tasks assigned to them. They can provide relative security only in the capital region and areas of permanent deployment of formations and units.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that up to 70% of the armament of units and subunits of the Ground Forces and the Air Force is out of order. There are practically no reserves of material and technical means. Poor training of flight and technical personnel does not allow for the efficient operation of the existing aviation fleet, including providing the necessary support to ongoing anti-terrorist measures.
The creation of combat-ready armed forces is also hampered by a lack of volunteers due to the low level of monetary allowance for military personnel (for an ordinary soldier - $ 70 per month), unwillingness to leave their places of permanent residence due to official necessity, a high level of desertion (about 40 thousand people in 2014), drug addiction (more than 20% of recruits), the state of health (50% do not meet the requirements) and the illiteracy of the vast majority of recruits (out of 20 people, only one has completed primary education).
In this regard, the Afghan government is implementing a plan for the construction of the Armed Forces, designed for 10 years, which provides for the formation of about 50 new formations, units and subdivisions. In accordance with it, by 2018, it is planned to introduce mechanized and artillery brigades, separate tank battalions, units of RCB protection, communications and air defense into the combat composition of the ground forces.
At the end of 2013, the command of the IRA Armed Forces began to form a fundamentally new structural element in the SV - a rapid reaction force consisting of two rapid reaction brigades. Currently, these formations are being recruited with personnel, weapons and military equipment (WME).
Much attention is paid to the creation of an effective system of logistics, including a repair and recovery base, as well as to improving the quality and intensity of operational and combat training activities.
The command of the armed forces of Afghanistan expects in the medium term to have six army corps, two divisions (111th Infantry and SOF), more than 40 brigades (individual, as part of army corps and divisions), seven helicopter squadrons (individual and in part of the air wings), as well as seven anti-aircraft missile divisions. They are planned to be armed with up to 200 tanks, over 1,000 field artillery guns, MLRS and mortars, air defense systems, more than 800 armored combat vehicles and about 100 aircraft and helicopters for various purposes.
The total costs for the implementation of the plans, including the purchase of weapons and military equipment abroad, should exceed $20 billion. At the same time, Afghanistan itself will be able to allocate no more than 10% of the necessary funds. The main "sponsor" of the power structures of this country will remain the United States and its allies, which, most likely, under the pretext of the need to jointly counter the expansion of the influence of extremists, will try to shift part of the costs to the countries of the region (primarily to India and China).
In view of the foregoing, it can be expected that the successful implementation of the plan developed with the participation of the United States to reform the power structures of Afghanistan will slightly increase their combat effectiveness, as well as strengthen the material and technical base and improve the financial security of personnel. Despite this, achieving a complete victory over the armed opposition and normalizing the situation in the country seems unlikely..
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRA) Ministry of Defense (IRA) spokesman Dawlat Vaziri said that "the special forces of the army should be strengthened and better equipped." According to him, the number of Afghan special forces will be increased to the level of an army corps.
The army corps is a powerful operational-tactical formation of the ground forces, which, as a rule, includes from two to four divisions. Each division consists of approximately 10-17 thousand people. Thus, the strength of an army corps can reach from 20,000 to 70,000 people.
- Afghan military personnel
The current number of special forces in Afghanistan is estimated at 17 thousand fighters. This is the elite of the Afghan army fighting the Taliban*. Special Forces perform about 70% of offensive operations.
Probably, the Afghan special forces will include over 30 thousand people. However, their formation is associated with great difficulties.
First, it is necessary to radically increase the level of combat training of at least 15,000 servicemen. Secondly, Kabul will have to find funds for the material support of such a large group. The Afghan authorities intend to resolve this issue with the support of foreign sponsors.
Resurgence of the Taliban
At the end of 2016, the Islamist group Taliban launched another large-scale offensive against the positions of the official armed forces. The radicals were able to quite easily knock out the security forces from the countryside, and they launched an offensive against large cities. There are street fights in Kunduz (65 km from the border with Tajikistan). The security forces are trying to eliminate the militants who entered the city earlier.
The central government in Kabul does not control much of the country's territory.
On March 26, the commander of the Resolute Support mission (US operation in Afghanistan), General John Nicholson, said that Kabul's power extends to only 62% of the population and 57% of the country's territory.
The battles with the Taliban have been going on with varying success for 15 years. In the fall of 2001, an international coalition led by the United States succeeded in overthrowing the Taliban regime, which had ruled Afghanistan since 1996.
In 2002, the Islamists were driven out of the major cities and pushed back into the mountains. However, the Taliban launched a powerful anti-American "patriotic" propaganda among the local population. The extremists received the support of civilians and launched a large-scale guerrilla war with the aim of "liberating" the country.
In 2003, the Taliban began to regain lost power and retake territories in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Despite certain tactical successes of the coalition in the mid-2000s, the extremists were not defeated and increased their combat potential.
- globallookpress.com
- Alex Macnaughton
American preparation
Since 2014, the situation in Afghanistan has often been described as critical. Three years ago, the Islamic State* (IS) infiltrated the country, while the US officially ended the combat mission, focusing on training Afghan officers and pinpoint strikes against terrorists.
The burden of fighting the radicals completely fell on the shoulders of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Afghanistan. With great difficulty, the power structures of the republic are holding back the onslaught of the Taliban and ISIS. The Pentagon has been preparing the Afghan army for 15 years, but during this time it has not turned into a combat-ready force.
The creation of the Afghan army was launched on December 2, 2002, when Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed a corresponding decree. The armed forces of the republic were created from scratch, and in the literal sense.
In January 2003, the number of regular troops was 2 thousand people. In September 2008, 70 thousand people served in the army. Now, according to various sources, there are 200-300 thousand people in the ranks of the IRA Armed Forces.
Former US President Barack Obama was clearly in a hurry to fulfill his election promise to withdraw the main contingent from Afghanistan. Therefore, the quantitative growth of the Afghan armed forces did not occur in parallel with the improvement in the level of combat capability.
The Americans have repeatedly increased the number of troops, reducing the period of training of soldiers and officers. Also, the Pentagon did not take care of the technical condition of the Afghan army. The main armament comes from the USSR. The exception is just the special forces units, which use mainly American weapons.
In addition to poor combat training and a shortage of modern equipment, the Air Force is the Achilles' heel of the IRA Armed Forces. The strike aircraft of the National Air Corps of Afghanistan is represented by only a couple of dozen aircraft (statistics from the Global Firepower portal).
The backbone of the country's Air Force is 82 multi-purpose Russian Mi-17 helicopters and 11 Soviet transport and combat Mi-35s. Lacking normal air support, the Afghan army is deprived of the opportunity to launch a large-scale offensive without heavy human losses.
- Reuters
SWAT is powerless
Director of the Center for the Study of the Middle East and Central Asia Semyon Bagdasarov doubts that the increase in the special forces of the Afghan army will positively affect the situation in the country. “Special forces are always used to conduct special operations or eliminate some leaders. A turning point in the war cannot come, ”the expert told RT.
The head of the Center for the Study of Modern Afghanistan (CISA), Omar Nessar, is not so categorical. “Today, the Afghan special forces are the most combat-ready unit in the army. He constantly saves the army from defeat, if somewhere some province is on the verge of falling, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.
According to Nessar, an increase in the number of special forces is necessary so that Kabul has the opportunity to fight on several fronts, where the most difficult battles are taking place.
“Now it is very important to prevent the loss of certain areas. But a small number of combat-ready troops cannot turn the tide throughout the country. The spring offensive will soon begin, and, apparently, the Taliban will capture new areas, and maybe even provinces, ”Nessar fears.
Experts believe that the key problem of the Afghan army is its morale. “The Afghans don't want to fight against the Taliban. This is the main reason why they cannot defeat the Taliban in any way. The Taliban enjoy the support of a significant part of the population and have rich experience in countering regular armies,” Bagdasarov stressed.
“Of course, it is always difficult to fight irregular formations. But it's not only that. The Afghan army and police have turned into structures where people look for work. There is practically no other legal way to earn decent money in the country. At the same time, the Taliban are ideologically trained people,” Nessar explained.
Interest in a stable Afghanistan
The situation in Afghanistan is of great interest to world powers. The United States continues to search for and destroy the leaders of Al-Qaeda* in the IRA, supporting the current political regime.
Russia is actively cooperating with the current government of Afghanistan and is also helping it in the fight against the Taliban. The authorities of the Russian Federation are striving to block drug trafficking from the mountainous republic to Central Asia, and at the same time to resolve internal contradictions.
It is beneficial for Moscow to secure the Afghan-Tajik border, preventing the destabilization of Tajikistan. To this end, Russia keeps the 201st military base in the republic, trains Tajik officers and conducts regular military exercises with them with the involvement of aviation.
Omar Nessar believes that Moscow is pursuing a competent policy, combining support for Kabul with attempts to exert political influence on the Taliban.
“Russia's national interests boil down to the emergence of a stable Afghanistan. The 15-year-old US hegemony has led to a deterioration in the situation, and the strengthening of the role of Russia will have a positive impact on it, ”the expert said.
“The peculiarity of the Taliban is that it (unlike ISIS) does not seek to spread its influence outside of Afghanistan and does not pose a threat to us. I think that Russia should not dive deep into the Afghan conflict, ”Bagdasarov notes in turn.
* Al-Qaeda, Islamic State (IS), Taliban are terrorist organizations banned in Russia.
, independence and territorial integrity of the state.
The Afghan Armed Forces consist of the ground forces (National Army) and the air force (National Air Corps). Landlocked, Afghanistan has no navy. The modern Afghan armed forces were created with the help of US and NATO military instructors after the overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001. The commander-in-chief is the president of Afghanistan, the headquarters of the armed forces is located in Kabul.
Military cooperation with the USSR began after the signing of the Soviet-Afghan treaty on February 28, 1921, according to which the parties assumed obligations not to enter into military and political alliances directed against one of the parties that signed this treaty. In accordance with the agreement, the USSR undertook to build a plant for the production of smokeless powder in Afghanistan, open an aviation school, transfer several aircraft, 5,000 rifles with a supply of rifle cartridges to the Afghan armed forces, and send technical specialists to Afghanistan to train Afghan aviators and aircraft technicians.
Military cooperation with the USSR continued after the signing in August 1956 of the Soviet-Afghan agreement on military cooperation. After that, the government of Afghanistan purchased a batch of weapons from the USSR in the amount of 25 million US dollars. In October 1956, supplies of small arms from the USSR began (carbines, PPSh submachine guns, heavy machine guns), in 1957 25 T-34 tanks were received. Simultaneously with the tanks, 10 military advisers and instructors arrived to train tank crews.
From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the Afghan army was trained and equipped by the USSR. According to the New York Times, in 1981 the total strength of the Army was about 85,000 troops. After the fall of the DRA in 1992, power passed to the Taliban and the unified armed forces ceased to exist.
In the period from 1990 to 2000, a civil war continued in the country, at which time several armed formations operated on the territory of Afghanistan.
As of the beginning of January 2003, the strength of the army was 5 battalions (2 thousand military personnel) and about 600 recruits undergoing training.
In September 2008, the Afghan army had 70,000 troops.
In early 2009, the ISAF military command announced that Afghanistan was beginning to form armed "local self-defense units" subordinate to local authorities, which should provide assistance to the troops and police. Previously, the US military command used the same program in Iraq under the leadership of General David Patreus.
At the same time, due to the need for accelerated training of military personnel, by October 2009, the training course for Afghan soldiers was reduced from 10 to 8 weeks, for officers - from 25 to 20 weeks.
In November 2009, the number of the Afghan army was 97.2 thousand troops.
According to official Pentagon figures, by the beginning of 2010, the cost of one Afghan soldier (including recruitment, training and maintenance costs) was $25,000 per year - cheaper than the cost of one coalition soldier.
In early August 2010, the first 29 female soldiers were accepted into the Afghan army. At the end of September 2010, they completed a 20-week training course and received the rank of second lieutenant. It was also announced that the number of female military personnel will be increased in the future.
As of the beginning of 2011, the number of the Afghan regular army was 132 thousand military personnel, another 12 thousand served in the border guard and 120 thousand in the police.
As of early September 2011, the Afghan army had 170,000 troops.
Since July 2013, the armed forces have taken over the full security of the country.
As of mid-2013, the total strength of the Afghan armed forces was over 190 thousand people (including 130 thousand military personnel of the ground forces, 6 thousand military personnel of the air force and about 55 thousand military personnel of the government, special operations forces , rear and auxiliary structures), another 20 thousand served in the bodies and units of the Main Directorate of National Security of Afghanistan and over 140 thousand in the Afghan National Police, Border Police and local police
The basic structural unit in the Afghan army is a battalion consisting of 600 people. A total of 14 brigades, which will be oriented at the regional level. Thirteen of these brigades will be light infantry, one will be mechanized and a special forces brigade.
Training for the first Afghan commando unit began in early 2007 at the Morehead Commando Training Center, six miles south of Kabul. In July 2007, the first commando battalion was trained, whose personnel underwent a three-month training course similar to the US Army Rangers, was equipped with American-style weapons and equipment. Initially, it was planned to train one commando brigade (six battalions) for the Afghan army, however, as of April 2012, 8 commando battalions were trained for the Afghan army. In the future, it is planned to increase the number of “commandos” to three brigades (15 battalions) of “commandos” of private military companies.
According to the report of the US Accounts Chamber, only in the period up to February 12, 2009, about 87 thousand weapons were lost in Afghanistan, transferred in 2004-2008 to the government of Afghanistan from the United States, as well as 135 thousand weapons sent to Afghanistan by NATO countries.
In general, the ANA has completed the process of re-equipping with American weapons, which includes M9 pistols, M16A2 assault rifles, M4 carbines (some of them equipped with the SOPMOD kit), M24 sniper rifles, M249 and M240V machine guns. Soviet-made weapons are used by the Afghan police. There is also a campaign to dispose of spent weapons.
As of August 2012, eleven years after the start of the Western operation in the country, the Afghan security forces remained heavily dependent on foreign assistance.
First of all, the Afghan security forces are dependent on foreign economic aid because the Afghan government is unable to support them. The maintenance of law enforcement agencies alone requires about $8 billion a year, which is several times the country's annual income. As for the combat effectiveness of the Afghan army, it cannot yet be said that the army is able to independently ensure security in the country.
In 2012, the United States and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement, in which Afghanistan is called "the main ally of the United States outside of NATO"
In addition, the Afghan army receives a significant amount of weapons and military equipment from NATO countries and their allies under military assistance programs.
| Afghan National Army | |
Emblem of the Afghan National Army |
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| Years of existence | since 2001 |
|---|---|
Afghan National Army (ANA)- military establishment Republic of Afghanistan designed to protect the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of the state. Composed of the Ground Forces and National Air Corps. Afghanistan does not have a navy.
O. Sidorov: Armed Forces of Afghanistan today and tomorrow
08:37 08.11.2006
It has already become an axiom that the armed forces in any country in the world are the guarantor of the preservation of sovereignty and political stability. And Afghanistan is no exception.
The decree "On the Creation of the Afghan National Army", issued by the head of the Afghan state Hamid Karzai in 2002, marked the beginning of the formation of the next national defense forces of Afghanistan.
At the same time, the development of the Afghan armed forces constantly encounters various kinds of obstacles. But in spite of everything, their creation is gradually moving forward.
The composition of the armed forces of Afghanistan:
Today, the Armed Forces of Afghanistan consist of the following types of troops:
Ground troops;
Air Force;
Border troops;
State Security Service;
Air defense troops.
Ground forces (namely five corps) are deployed in the provinces where the Taliban previously had military bases, namely in Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Kandahar and Paktia.
Story
Soldiers of the Afghan National Army in the 1950s.
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the Afghan army was trained and equipped Soviet Union. In the 1970s, the number of troops in the Afghan army was at its peak - about 200,000 people. The Afghan army took part in the Afghan Civil War. After the fall of the DRA in 1992, power passed to the Taliban and the unified armed forces ceased to exist.
present tense
After the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, the Afghan army was re-formed with the help of instructors from the US and NATO. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has set the size of the armed forces at 70,000 by 2009. Many military experts believe that this is not enough, and that at least 200,000 people are needed to control the situation in the country. By June 2003, a corps of 3,000 men had been formed.
Current state
population
As of May 2008, the strength is over 80,000 military personnel. By mid-2009, 86,000 people are expected. In October 2008, it was proposed to increase the number to 134,000 people.
Military band of the Afghan Ministry of Defense.
Structure
The basic structural unit in the Afghan army is a battalion consisting of 600 people. Special Forces units are modeled after the US Army. By 2007, 76 battalions are planned. A total of 14 brigades, which will be oriented at the regional level. Thirteen of these brigades will be light infantry, one will be mechanized and a special forces brigade.
Five ANA Corps:
- 201st Corps based in Kabul (of which the 3rd Brigade, in Pol-e-Chakri, will be mechanized formations of M-113 armored vehicles and Soviet battle tanks
- 203rd Corps, based in Gardez,
- 205 Corps based in Kandahar,
- 207 Corps in Herat
- 209 Corps in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Soldiers of the Afghan National Army, including the ANA Commando Battalion.
Special Forces
In July 2007, the first special forces battalion was formed in the Afghan army. The commandos completed a three-month training course for the American special forces. They were trained in advanced infantry skills as well as first aid and tactical training. They are fully equipped with US Army equipment. Special forces are one of the most elite units of the Afghan army. By the end of 2008, six ANA commando battalions will be in southern Afghanistan supporting Canadian forces.
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Armament
Weapon
Since the early 1970s, the army has been equipped with Soviet AK-47s as its main small arms. In 2008, the AK-47 is being replaced by US-made M16 rifles. Currently, almost all small arms are produced by NATO countries. Some special forces units are also equipped with the M16. The ANA also uses Soviet weapons left over from the DRA. This equipment is also used by the Afghan National Police. All AK-47 assault rifles will be stored in military warehouses for future use. This measure is taken in connection with the new standard of the army, in connection with which the ANA must be armed with weapons manufactured by the United States and NATO.
Heavy weapons
| Model | A photo | Type | Quantity | the date | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTR-60 | 
| armored personnel carrier | the USSR | |||
| BTR-80 | 
| armored personnel carrier | the USSR | |||
| BRDM-2 | 
| armored personnel carrier | the USSR | |||
| BMP-1 | 
| BMP | the USSR | |||
| BMP-2 | - | BMP | the USSR | |||
| - | armored personnel carrier | USA | ||||
| USA |
Main battle tanks
| Model | A photo | Type | Quantity | the date | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PT-76 | - | the USSR | ||||
| T-55 |  | the USSR | ||||
| T-62 | - | the USSR | ||||
| Type 59 |  | PRC | ||||
| Germany | Will be delivered in 2011 Canada |
Air Defense/Artillery
| Model | A photo | Type | Quantity | the date | The supplier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BM-14 | - | rocket artillery | the USSR | |||
| BM-21 Grad | 
| rocket artillery | the USSR | |||
| air defense | the USSR | ||||
| ZU-23-2 | 
| air defense | the USSR | |||
| ZPU-4 | - | air defense | the USSR | |||
| 122 mm howitzer D-30 | 
| gun | the USSR | |||
| 152-mm howitzer-gun model 1937 (ML-20) | 
| gun | the USSR | |||
| 152-mm howitzer model 1943 (D-1) |  | gun | the USSR | |||
| 122-mm howitzer model 1938 (M-30) | 
| gun | the USSR | |||
| gun | USA |
At the same time, the moral and psychological state of the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Afghanistan remains at a low level. This is due to several factors:
regular clashes between units of the Afghan armed forces and the Taliban;
as a consequence of this, an increase in losses among personnel;
the salaries of servicemen inadequate to the risk, as a result of which far from the best personnel go to serve;
an increase in the number of deserters among military personnel.
The moral and psychological state in the Afghan armed forces directly affects the recruitment of volunteers for the regular army.
The main reason for the decline in the number of those wishing to serve in the army is the low level of salaries for servicemen. Thus, according to the decree on the creation of the voluntary National Army of Afghanistan of 2002, military personnel are paid a salary of $ 50 during active service, which, according to conscripts, is an insufficient amount.
The most acute problems of the Afghan armed forces today are the low training of personnel and the high level of desertion.
Prospects for military construction in Afghanistan
Being a landlocked state, Afghanistan does not plan (and is not able to in the near future) to acquire the entire traditional army triad (which includes ground forces, air force, navy). As a result, the national armed forces of Afghanistan will consist of two branches of service: the ground forces and the air force.
With regard to the ground forces, it is planned to form military-territorial units stationed in Kandahar, Gardez, Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif. 5 army corps will be formed (including 13 brigades and 78 battalions).
The plans for the further development of the Afghan armed forces provide for an increase in the number of soldiers and officers by 2007 to 70,000. Further, within a few more years, their number should be doubled.
This text was prepared on the basis of the analytical reports of the CISA specifically for Afghanistan.Ru.
The formation of the modern armed forces of Afghanistan began in 2002 after the fall of the Taliban regime. This process was extremely slow due to the loss of army traditions during the civil war of 1992-2001, when the political vacuum was filled by their own armed detachments of various political forces participating in the conflict. Initially, these formations were given the status of army corps with a prescribed territorial affiliation. In total, 8 corps were created, of which 6 were based on the formation of the Northern Alliance.
In 2002-2003 with the participation of foreign military in Afghanistan, the process of disarming non-governmental armed groups and the formation of regular armed forces began. Initially, this process was extremely difficult, in 2003 the total payroll of the Afghan army was less than 6,000 people, and there were practically no police forces.
By the beginning of 2015, the payroll of the Afghan National Army reached 178 thousand people, the number of police units - more than 150 thousand people. The law enforcement agencies also include local police units (about 28 thousand people) or local armed self-defense units that have received official status.
To date, the ANA has abandoned the divisional link of subordination and has the following structure: roofing felts (company) - kandak (battalion) - brigade - corps. In total, there are 7 corps in the Afghan army:
- 201 Razliv Corps (Kabul), responsible for the security of the Afghan capital and southeastern provinces (considers it the most trained and combat-ready unit);
- 203 Corps "Thunder" (Gardez), operating on the territory of the regional command (military district) "Gardez", including the provinces of Khost, Paktika, Ghazni;
- 205 Corps "Hero" (Kandahar), area of responsibility includes the provinces of Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan;
- 207 Corps "Victory" (Herat), provinces of Herat and Farah;
- 209 Corps "Falcon" (Mazar-i-Sharif);
- 215 Corps (Lashkar Gah).
Each corps includes at least 3 combined-arms brigades, a special-purpose battalion, a headquarters battalion, as well as logistics and corps support units.
The number of armed forces in Afghanistan is quite large in comparison with states with similar populations, and this is explained by the need to fight against terrorist groups within the country.
In the current conditions, the state does not have sufficient own funds to finance army units, therefore, foreign financial assistance plays a significant role in the Afghan military development. In addition, the IRA army is dependent on imports of a number of types of weapons, equipment, equipment, and fuel and lubricants, which are not produced domestically in the required volumes. This circumstance makes the armed forces vulnerable in the event of a change in the foreign policy situation, so Afghanistan is faced with the task of increasing the independence of its own armed forces from external support.
The modern Afghan army has abandoned the forced mobilization practiced during the DRA. Soldiers serve on a contract basis. The first few weeks of service, personnel receive training in army training centers, mainly in the Kabul region, then the training process continues in military units, incl. with the participation of foreign instructors.
In the context of unconventional combat operations against enemy mobile units, special forces (“commandos”) play a special role in the ANA. The Special Operations Group, created in 2011, includes 3-4 brigades. Its center, the "Murihed" base, is located in the province of Wardak. The number of units by 2012 was about 1000-1500 people.
ANA is multinational, but traditionally there is a large presence of ethnic Tajiks in its ranks. In 2013, they accounted for about 33.3% of the total personnel and 39% among the officers, which is significantly higher than their share in the total population of the country. According to unofficial data, among the commanders of brigades and above, ethnic Pashtuns are predominantly represented.
After 2011, the tasks facing the ANA became more complex due to the transfer of responsibility for security from ISAF forces to national security structures. The attacks of extremists in 2015 in Badakhshan, Kunduz and Wardak, which were accompanied by heavy losses, had a particularly negative effect on the mood of the Afghan army. During this period, there is an increase in cases of desertion, which is a shortcoming of the Afghan army over the past 35 years.
Despite the voluntariness of recruitment, the ANA is faced with the problem of unauthorized departure of personnel, both "AWOL" during the period of field work, and with flight without the intention of returning before the expiration of the contract. Usually these problems are related to the conditions of service and threats to life in the course of hostilities against the armed opposition. There is also the problem of "ghost soldiers", associated with the concealment of the facts of desertion or the inclusion of parts of fictitious persons in the lists of personnel in order to obtain additional allowances.
In 2015, a parliamentary investigation found an acute problem of corruption and embezzlement in the armed forces, including the illegal sale of fuel, weapons and vehicles, which can lead to the incapacity of individual units.
The ANA also faces a number of other difficulties caused by the rapid increase in the size of the armed forces in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Many units face a shortage of qualified officers, as well as problems in the training of enlisted personnel. The latter is due, among other things, to difficulties in the development of civil educational institutions and the lack of basic literacy among some of the recruits.
Also, the problem of the Afghan armed forces is the lack of certain types of weapons, including aviation and armored vehicles. This is partly due to the reluctance of foreign partners to provide the national army with some types of weapons that, according to foreign experts, the armed forces will not be able to use effectively at present or there is a risk of their capture by extremists. There is also an opinion that the level of equipment of the Afghan army is regulated by some kind of agreement between the United States and some countries in the region that are not interested in the appearance of a powerful army in Afghanistan. It partially compensates for the lack of equipment by supporting the operations of the Afghan military aviation of NATO, which remains in the country after 2014.
At the moment, a significant part of the military units cannot operate fully without the support of foreign military advisers and NATO units stationed in Afghanistan. Most often, there is a need for transport support, the provision of medical services and operational advice from military specialists.
Undoubtedly, during the period of the withdrawal of foreign troops from the territory of the country, the load on the Afghan military will increase, and they will face more and more complex tasks related to countering extremism, especially in the context of new regional threats. The success of solving these tasks will be largely determined by the increase in the combat capability and independence of the Afghan army, as well as the search for new mechanisms for international cooperation and support.
