Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [‎5r] (9/431)

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(a) The activities of the Afghan Air Force have been on
a reduced scale during the summer months due to a shortage
of serviceable aircrait and a lack of spares. Six Hind
aircraft were despatched to Jalalabad in October for the
purpose of carrying out air reconnaissances in the Lunar
valley and for purposes of training. They will remain in
Jalalabad for the winter months as usual. They were
despatched somewhat earlier this year, due to a recrudescence
of Safi discontent. *
(b) The reorganisation of the Afghan Air Force is still
under discussion, and it is understood that when the
Government have purchased the 12 Avro XIX aircraft, the
Afghan Air Force will be re-organised into three squadrons
as follows:-
(i) No. 1 Squadron - Hind aircraft. Two flights of
7 or 8.
(ii) No. 2 Training Squadron with 8 Tiger Loth, 4
Romeo and i Hind aircraft.
(iii) No. 3 Squadron with 12 Avro XIX aircraft.
The
aircra
he present position regarding the serviceability
ft is shown in Appendix f A' to this report.
of
(c) In September 1947 the Afghan Government despatched
Lt-Col. Abdur Razaq Khan to London to negotiate with the
British Government for the supply of 12 Avro Anson XIX
aircraft, with 5 years spares. He is still so far as is
known in London. The chief difficulty in regard to the
E u r c ^? 36 ^^ ese aircraft has been a lack of sterling credits,
but the Afghan Government are believed to have overcome this
difficulty by arranging for the sale of Persian lambskins on
the London market. When the Avro XIX aircraft have been
purchased, the Afghan^Government hope that the R.A.F. and
the Government, of Pakistan will assist them in taking delivery
of the aircraft at Karachi and in providing facilities for
training Afghan personnel to fly them.
(d) The sample Spitfire VIII aircraft was returned to India
on August 6th. S/Ldr G.F. Reid D.F.C., R.A.F., considered
that the aircraft was unsuitable for.use in Afghanistan owing
tp its high speed, lack of facilities for training Afghan
pilots to _fly the aircraft, the high expenditure m petrol
and the difficulties of me.intaininr the Spitfire when used
on rough airfields.
(e) The Afghan Government while still interested in
establishing civil air services in Afghanistan, appear to
have come to the conclusion that they cannot afford such a
luxury at the present moment. In January the Tr-ns-World
Airways 1 ission headed by General Giles visited Her-t, but
the scheme put forward by the Mission was apparently
considered an expensive one by the Afghans, and no further
developments have.taken^place. Russian reactions to the
visit of the American Air Mission were prompt, and the