2001 War in Afghanistan

A-29 Super Tucano in the 2001 War in Afghanistan

Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucanos were used for close air support and precision strikes in Afghanistan, including the March 2018 combat introduction of laser-guided bombs against Taliban targets.

Weapon profileA-29 Super Tucano
SideUnited States, NATO, and Afghan government forcesRoleFire Support
A-29 Super Tucano, Turboprop light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - 2001 War in Afghanistan
Image source: Nigerian Air Force A-29 Super Tucano aircraft pilot fires two .50-caliber machine guns

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucanos were delivered and fielded in Afghanistan for close air support, armed overwatch, aerial interdiction, and precision-guided munition roles.

Sources: AFCENT Afghan Air Force receives first four A-29 attack aircraft

Afghan A-29 pilots used a GBU-58 laser-guided bomb against a Taliban compound in Farah on March 22, 2018.

Sources: Afghan A-29 drops first laser-guided bomb on Taliban, Afghan A-29 pilots drop laser-guided bomb in combat, First laser-guided bomb dropped on Taliban in Farah, Afghanistan (22 March 2018).webm

By May 11, 2018, Afghan A-29 pilots had used laser-guided bombs on dozens of Afghan ground-support missions and dropped more than 50 laser-guided bombs on enemy targets.

Sources: Laser Guided Bombs enhance Afghan Air Force Strike Capability

Timeline

A-29 Super Tucano In 2001 War in Afghanistan

  1. First Afghan A-29s arrive in Kabul

    Four A-29 Super Tucanos arrived at Hamid Karzai International Airport for the Afghan Air Force, with AFCENT describing the aircraft as capable of close air support, armed overwatch, aerial interdiction, and precision-guided munition delivery.

    Sources: AFCENT Afghan Air Force receives first four A-29 attack aircraft

  2. Afghan A-29s use a GBU-58 in Farah

    Afghan Air Force pilots from Kabul Air Wing's Kandahar A-29 detachment used a GBU-58 laser-guided bomb against a Taliban compound in Farah, marking the service's first combat use of a laser-guided bomb.

    Sources: Afghan A-29 drops first laser-guided bomb on Taliban, Afghan A-29 pilots drop laser-guided bomb in combat, First laser-guided bomb dropped on Taliban in Farah, Afghanistan (22 March 2018).webm

  3. Laser-guided strike use expands

    U.S. Air Force reporting said A-29 Super Tucano pilots had supported about 30 Afghan ground missions with laser-guided bomb technology and dropped more than 50 laser-guided bombs on enemy targets.

    Sources: Laser Guided Bombs enhance Afghan Air Force Strike Capability

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucanos are documented in combat use during the 2001 War in Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force reporting said that, after laser-guided bombs were introduced on March 22, 2018, A-29 pilots had supported about 30 Afghan ground missions and dropped more than 50 laser-guided bombs on enemy targets by May 11, 2018.

The clearest single incident was the March 22, 2018 strike in Farah. Military.com reported that an Afghan A-29 squadron used a GBU-58 Paveway II from an A-29 Super Tucano to destroy a Taliban compound, while Army Times identified the pilots as operating from Kabul Air Wing's Kandahar A-29 detachment. A public-domain Resolute Support video page describes the same strike as the first Afghan Air Force combat employment of a laser-guided bomb.

Sources: Laser Guided Bombs enhance Afghan Air Force Strike Capability, Afghan A-29 drops first laser-guided bomb on Taliban, Afghan A-29 pilots drop laser-guided bomb in combat, First laser-guided bomb dropped on Taliban in Farah, Afghanistan (22 March 2018).webm

Timeline

The first four A-29s arrived in Afghanistan on January 15, 2016, when U.S. Air Forces Central described the aircraft as a light air support platform for close air support, aerial escort, armed overwatch, aerial interdiction, and precision-guided munition delivery.

Afghan A-29 airstrike capability followed in 2016, and the laser-guided bomb milestone came on March 22, 2018 in Farah. By May 2018, U.S. Air Force reporting framed the capability as an expanding Afghan-operated strike tool rather than a one-off event, with Afghan ammunition specialists, maintainers, and A-29 pilots supporting the mission set.

Sources: AFCENT Afghan Air Force receives first four A-29 attack aircraft, Laser Guided Bombs enhance Afghan Air Force Strike Capability, Afghan A-29 pilots drop laser-guided bomb in combat

Operational role

In Afghan service, the A-29's documented role was close air support and precision fire support for Afghan ground forces. The Farah strike was reported along the route of an Afghan National Army clearing operation, and later U.S. Air Force reporting described A-29 pilots using laser-guided bombs while supporting Afghan ground missions in southern Afghanistan.

The sources distinguish transfer and fielding from combat employment. The January 2016 AFCENT report documents delivery and intended roles for Afghan A-29s; the March and May 2018 reports document use against Taliban or enemy targets after Afghan crews and pilots had fielded laser-guided bomb capability.

Sources: AFCENT Afghan Air Force receives first four A-29 attack aircraft, Afghan A-29 pilots drop laser-guided bomb in combat, Laser Guided Bombs enhance Afghan Air Force Strike Capability

Images

Conflict Context

Preview still from public-domain footage of the first Afghan Air Force laser-guided bomb dropped on Taliban forces in Farah
Public-domain Resolute Support video still tied to the March 22, 2018 Farah strike by Afghan A-29 pilots.

Sources: First laser-guided bomb dropped on Taliban in Farah, Afghanistan (22 March 2018).webm

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Sources