2001 War in Afghanistan

GBU-58 Paveway II in the 2001 War in Afghanistan

Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucano pilots used the GBU-58 Paveway II in Afghanistan on March 22, 2018, striking a Taliban compound in Farah in the service's first combat use of a laser-guided bomb.

Weapon profileGBU-58 Paveway II
SideUnited States, NATO, and Afghan government forcesRoleFire Support
GBU-58 Paveway II, 250-pound laser-guided bomb, Munitions - 2001 War in Afghanistan
Image source: First laser-guided bomb dropped on Taliban in Farah, Afghanistan (22 March 2018).webm

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucano pilots used a GBU-58 Paveway II 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

The strike was reported as the Afghan Air Force's first combat use of a laser-guided bomb and was tied to Kabul Air Wing's Kandahar A-29 detachment.

Sources: 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 dropped more than 50 laser-guided bombs on enemy targets, but the reporting does not identify every later bomb as a GBU-58.

Sources: Laser Guided Bombs enhance Afghan Air Force Strike Capability

Timeline

GBU-58 Paveway II In 2001 War in Afghanistan

  1. Afghan A-29 pilots 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 Afghan Air Force's first combat employment 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

  2. Afghan laser-guided bomb use expands

    U.S. Air Force reporting said Afghan A-29 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

The GBU-58 Paveway II is directly documented in Afghan Air Force combat use during the 2001 War in Afghanistan. Military.com reported that an Afghan A-29 Super Tucano squadron deployed a GBU-58 in combat on March 22, 2018, destroying a Taliban compound in Farah near the Iranian border.

Army Times identified the weapon as a 250-pound GBU-58 laser-guided bomb dispatched from an A-29 Super Tucano operated by Kabul Air Wing's Kandahar detachment. A public-domain Resolute Support video file on Wikimedia Commons gives the same date and location context, describing Afghan attack pilots electing to employ the GBU-58 against the Taliban compound.

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

Dated milestones

The documented combat milestone came on March 22, 2018, after Afghan crews had completed training to employ laser-guided bombs. The Farah strike was reported as a direct hit along the route of a major Afghan National Army clearing operation.

By May 11, 2018, U.S. Air Force reporting described the laser-guided bomb capability as an expanding Afghan-operated strike tool. The article said A-29 Super Tucano pilots had supported approximately 30 Afghan ground missions with the technology and dropped more than 50 laser-guided bombs on enemy targets, while also noting that Afghan ammunition specialists built the bombs and Afghan maintainers loaded them onto Afghan aircraft.

Sources: Afghan A-29 pilots drop laser-guided bomb in combat, Laser Guided Bombs enhance Afghan Air Force Strike Capability

Operational role

In the documented Farah incident, the GBU-58 was used as a precision fire-support munition from an Afghan A-29 Super Tucano against a Taliban compound. Reporting attributed the choice of a laser-guided bomb to the target's proximity to civilians, and the strike supported an Afghan National Army clearing operation.

The sources separate the munition's use from broader transfer and fielding context. Military.com and Army Times identify the specific GBU-58 employment on March 22, 2018; the later U.S. Air Force article describes continued Afghan A-29 laser-guided bomb use in southern Afghanistan without naming every bomb model in those later strikes.

Sources: Afghan A-29 drops first laser-guided bomb on Taliban, 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 a GBU-58 laser-guided bomb strike in Farah, Afghanistan
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

Related Weapons by Role

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Sources