The current Afghan military traces its origin to the early 18th century when the Hotaki dynasty rose to power in Kandahar and defeated the Persian Safavid Empire at the Battle of Gulnabad in 1722. When Ahmad Shah Durrani formed the Durrani Empire in 1747, his Afghan army fought a number of wars in the Punjab region of Hindustan during the 18th to the 19th century.
The current Afghan military traces its origin to the early 18th century when the Hotaki dynasty rose to power in Kandahar and defeated the Persian Safavid Empire at the Battle of Gulnabad in 1722. When Ahmad Shah Durrani formed the Durrani Empire in 1747, his Afghan army fought a number of wars in the Punjab region of Hindustan during the 18th to the 19th century.
One of the famous battles was the 1761 Battle of Panipat in which the Afghans invaded and won a pyrrhic victory against the Maratha Empire.
During the First Anglo-Afghan War, British India invaded Afghanistan in 1838 but withdrew in 1842.
During the First Anglo-Afghan War, British India invaded Afghanistan in 1838 but withdrew in 1842.
It was re-organized with help from the British in 1880, when the country was ruled by Amir Abdur Rahman Khan.
During the three years a number of battles took place in different parts of Afghanistan. The first organized army of Afghanistan (in the modern sense) was established after the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1880 when the nation was ruled by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan.
However, under his reign, the Afghan Air Force was formed in 1924.
This resulted in neglect, cutbacks, recruitment problems, and finally an army unable to quell the 1929 up-rising that cost him his throne.
The Indian Military Academy which has been in existence since 1932, provides a 4-year degree to army officers, while the National Defence Academy is a tri-service college provides a 3-year degree after which officers undergo a 1-year specialization in their respective service colleges.
The Afghan Armed Forces were expanded during King Zahir Shah's reign, reaching a strength of 70,000 in 1933. Following World War II, Afghanistan briefly received continued military support from the British government under the Lancaster Plan from 1945 to 1947, until the partition of India realigned British priorities in the region.
The Afghan Armed Forces were expanded during King Zahir Shah's reign, reaching a strength of 70,000 in 1933. Following World War II, Afghanistan briefly received continued military support from the British government under the Lancaster Plan from 1945 to 1947, until the partition of India realigned British priorities in the region.
The Afghan Armed Forces were expanded during King Zahir Shah's reign, reaching a strength of 70,000 in 1933. Following World War II, Afghanistan briefly received continued military support from the British government under the Lancaster Plan from 1945 to 1947, until the partition of India realigned British priorities in the region.
About 400 of these were used by Americans and ISAF forces with the remaining 300 or so by Afghan National Security Forces. During the 1950s and 1960s, Afghanistan purchased moderate quantities of Soviet weapons to keep the military up to date.
Afghanistan declined to join the 1955 United States-sponsored Baghdad Pact; this rebuff did not stop the United States from continuing its low-level aid program, but it was reluctant to provide Afghanistan with military assistance, so Daoud turned to the Soviet Union and its allies for military aid, and in 1955 he received approximately US$25 million of military aid.
By the 1960s, Soviet assistance started to improve the structure, armament, training, and command and control arrangements for the military.
About 400 of these were used by Americans and ISAF forces with the remaining 300 or so by Afghan National Security Forces. During the 1950s and 1960s, Afghanistan purchased moderate quantities of Soviet weapons to keep the military up to date.
The Afghan Armed Forces reached a strength of 98,000 (90,000 soldiers and 8,000 airmen) by this period. After the exile of King Zahir Shah in 1973, President Daud Khan forged stronger ties with the Soviets by signing two highly controversial military aid packages for his nation in 1973 and 1975.
After King Zahir Shah's exile in 1973, President Daoud Khan made attempts to create a strong Afghan military in the Greater Middle East-South Asia region.
Between 1973 and 1978, Afghanistan obtained more sophisticated Soviet weapons such as Mi-4 and Mi-8 helicopters, Su-22 and Il-28 jets.
The Afghan Armed Forces reached a strength of 98,000 (90,000 soldiers and 8,000 airmen) by this period. After the exile of King Zahir Shah in 1973, President Daud Khan forged stronger ties with the Soviets by signing two highly controversial military aid packages for his nation in 1973 and 1975.
Due to problems with local political parties in his country, President Daud Khan decided to distance himself from the Soviets in 1976.
He made Afghanistan's ties closer to the Greater Middle East and the United States instead. From 1977 to 1978, the Afghan Armed Forces conducted joint military training with the Egyptian Armed Forces.
From 1978 to 1992, the Soviet-backed Afghan Armed Force fought with multi-national mujahideen groups who were being backed by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
He made Afghanistan's ties closer to the Greater Middle East and the United States instead. From 1977 to 1978, the Afghan Armed Forces conducted joint military training with the Egyptian Armed Forces.
In April 1978 there was a coup, known as the Saur Revolution, orchestrated by members of the government loyal to the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA).
Between 1973 and 1978, Afghanistan obtained more sophisticated Soviet weapons such as Mi-4 and Mi-8 helicopters, Su-22 and Il-28 jets.
This led to a full-scale Soviet invasion in December 1979, led by the 40th Army and the Airborne Forces.
Throughout the 1980s, the Afghan Armed Forces was heavily involved in fighting against the multi-national Mujahiddin rebel groups who were largely backed by the United States and trained by the Pakistani Armed Forces.
organizations and then Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, and was finally run by the Resolute Support Mission. The Afghan Air Force was relatively capable before and during the 1980s but by late 2001, the number of operational aircraft available was minimal.
In 1981 the total strength of the Army was around 85,000 troops according to The New York Times.
The Army had around 35-40,000 soldiers, who was mostly conscripts, the Air Force had around 7,000 airmen and if put together all military personnel in 1984, the total strength of the Afghan Armed Forces was around 87,000 in 1984.
Due to large number of defectors, the Afghan Armed Forces in 1985 were reduced to around 47,000.
China provided the most relevant weapons, likely due to their own experience with guerrilla warfare, and kept meticulous record of all the shipments. Following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan continued to deal with attacks from the Mujahiddin.
From 1978 to 1992, the Soviet-backed Afghan Armed Force fought with multi-national mujahideen groups who were being backed by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
After President Najibullah's resignation in 1992 and the end of Soviet support, the military dissolved into portions controlled by different warlord factions and the mujahideen took control over the government.
But the government was dealt a major blow when Abdul Rashid Dostum, a leading general, switched allegiances to the Mujahideen in 1992 and together they captured the city of Kabul.
In 1995, during the 1995 Airstan incident, a Taliban fighter plane captured a Russian transport.
When the Taliban took power in 1996, the warlords fled Kabul to the north or neighboring countries.
This era was followed by the rise of the Taliban regime, which was directly trained and supported by Pakistan's military. After the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 and the formation of the Afghan Interim Administration, the Afghan Armed Forces was gradually rebuilt by the United Nations, primarily by the United States and other NATO states.
They also held six Mil Mi-8 helicopters, five Mi-35s, five L-39Cs, six An-12s, 25 An-26s, a dozen An-24/32s, an IL-18, and a Yakovlev. ===Current organization=== After the formation of the Karzai administration in late 2001, the Afghan Armed Forces was gradually reestablished by the United States and its allies.
organizations and then Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, and was finally run by the Resolute Support Mission. The Afghan Air Force was relatively capable before and during the 1980s but by late 2001, the number of operational aircraft available was minimal.
The deal also includes the refurbishment of heavy weapons left behind since the Soviet war. The United States has also been largely responsible for the growth of the Afghan Air Force, as part of the Combined Air Power Transition Force, from four aircraft at the end of 2001 to about 100 as of 2011.
Both countries have supported the Northern Alliance, with funding, training, supplies and medical treatment of wounded fighters, against the Taliban prior to 2002.
By 2006, more than 60,000 former militiamen from around the country have been disarmed.
In 2007, it was reported that the DDR programmes had dismantled 274 paramilitary organizations, reintegrated over 62,000 militia members into civilian life, and recovered more than 84,000 weapons, including heavy weapons.
But The New York Times reported in October 2007 this information in the context of a reported rise in the number of hoarded weapons in the face of what has been seen as a growing Taliban threat, even in the north of the country. The ANA Commando Battalion was established in 2007.
The Afghan National Development Strategy of 2008 explained that the aim of DIAG (Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups) was to ban all illegal armed groups in all provinces of the country.
It was reported in 2010 that there were at least 700 military bases inside Afghanistan but more were expected to be built in the coming years.
In 2014 the number of Afghan officers in training in India was nearly 1,100. The total manpower of the Afghan Armed Forces was around 164,000 in May 2011.
The deal also includes the refurbishment of heavy weapons left behind since the Soviet war. The United States has also been largely responsible for the growth of the Afghan Air Force, as part of the Combined Air Power Transition Force, from four aircraft at the end of 2001 to about 100 as of 2011.
It was announced in 2011 that the Afghan Armed Forces would be provided with 145 multi-type aircraft, 21 helicopters and 23,000 various type vehicles.
In 2012, Afghanistan became a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Sizable numbers of Afghan officers are sent to be trained in India either at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, the National Defence Academy near Pune or the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.
In 2013, after years of subtle reminders, the Afghan government sent a wish list of heavy weapons to India.The list includes as many as 150 battle tanks T-72, 120 (105 mm) field guns, a large number of 82 mm mortars, one medium lift transport aircraft AN-32, two squadrons of medium lift Mi-17 and attack helicopters Mi-35, and a large number of trucks.
In 2014 the number of Afghan officers in training in India was nearly 1,100. The total manpower of the Afghan Armed Forces was around 164,000 in May 2011.
By the fall of 2014 it has reached 195,000.
In 2014, India signed a deal with Russia and Afghanistan where it would pay Russia for all the heavy equipment requested by Afghanistan instead of directly supplying them.
The American intention is to spend around $5 billion by 2016 to increase the force to around 120 aircraft. As the size of Afghan Armed Force is growing rapidly so is the need for more aircraft and vehicles.
As of 2021, it is becoming able to operate independently from the NATO.
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