More Afghan C-130Hs?

摘要

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has proposed that the US Government's plan to transfer an additional pair of Lockheed C-130 Hercules to the Afghan Air Force should be shelved. The first pair was delivered in late 2013 (see Two Afghan Hercules Delivered, November 2013, p10). SIGAR is tasked with evaluating and auditing US expenditure in Afghanistan. It concluded that while the two Hercules already supplied were capable of flying 555 hours between October 2013 and May, they had only flown for 261 hours, 48% of the total. Furthermore, on average the aircraft carried half of their maximum capacity on the flights, which could be transported using existing smaller aircraft or ground vehicles. Problems sustaining and maintaining the aircraft were also noted by SIGAR. Following the SIGAR report in mid-July, the Senate Appropriations Committee inserted a clause in its annual defence appropriations bill prohibiting the transfer of additional C-130s until a review of the Afghan Air Force was conducted.