List of active aircraft of the Afghan Air Force explained

This is the list of active aircraft of the Afghan Air Force, prior to the 2021 Taliban offensive.

Inventory prior to Taliban takeover

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Combat Aircraft
Cessna 208	United States	ground attack / ISTAR	AC-208	10^[1]
A-29 Super Tucano	Brazil	COIN / attack		19
Transport
Boeing 727	United States			1^[2]	former owned by Ariana Afghan Airlines^[3]
C-130 Hercules	United States	transport	C-130H	4
Cessna 208	United States			24
Pilatus PC-12	Switzerland	transport / utility	PC-12NG	18^[4]	assigned to the Special Mission Wing
Helicopters
Mil Mi-17	Soviet Union	utility	Mi-8/17	95	56 aircraft are in use with the Special Mission Wing^[5]
Mil Mi-24	Soviet Union	attack	Mi-25	8
Bell UH-1	United States	utility	UH-1H	10
	France	utility		3
Sikorsky UH-60	United States	utility	UH-60A	16

Notes and References

1. Web site: World Air Forces 2021. Flightglobal Insight . 2021 . 4 May 2021. registration.
2. Web site: World Air Forces 2018 . Flightglobal Insight . 2018 . 4 December 2017.
3. Afghan AF acquires 3 Boeing 727s . Air Forces Monthly . 30. Key Publishing. December 2014.
4. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Afghan-SpecOps-gets-PC-12NG-Transport-Planes-07577/ "Afghan SpecOps gets PC-12NG Transport Planes."
5. Web site: The Afghanistan Special Mission Wing. www.armyaviationmagazine.com.