Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [‎87r] (173/431)

Pcrx 2.
fact that they cannot
high altitude. Thi
tfike iff with a full war load from air ficlos with
engines nf these aircraft have had temporary
J
flights.
esrin of the ^
this year, the number of serviceable aircraft available tor
will probably be reduced furtner, and might welllead to an
request for the supply of more aircraft from India.
Judgin' from remarks made by tne ^ir Gonimanoant, an^. senior offic^rs^in
the inis try of Defence, it would appear tnat tne Government are consia-
orino the question of the purchase of more aircraft, but .0 not wish to
incur any expenditure on this account until they are certain that air
craft of a suitable type can be supplied from Great Britain or America
at reasonable prices, anl. that any purenase made is necessary for tne
maintenance of internal security, or for training stuoent pilots* ihe
Government also seem to anticipate being able to buy surplus aircraft
cheaply at the end of the war, and are anxious to avoid the expense ol
buying and maintaining aircraft which may later prove to have been a
poor bargain.
The Ministry
i -f* n
snee informed th
that they would like to send two
Military attache at the end
or three of their air force
in air matters.
T.M. Abdi-f Razaq Khan, and
the R.A .F * at Karachi, and
I
one or two other officers who wore trained by
* have some knowledge of English, are likely ^ to
be selected for this advanced training, shoul 1 facilities for the train
ing be granted.
The Isfahan Government have suggested that a military mission oe allowed
to visit India in the late summer or autumn of -L944, for^tne purpose 01
inspecting British and American armaments- nnn-i merit.. an^i training estao-
1 is laments etc. It is probable tnat an
in the 8 or 9 officers of all arms who
, equipment, and training
air force officer will be included
are to be included in tne mission.
(d) Tne spares position f,r British hind aircraft is now satisfactory,
■and spares on order from In-ia are being delivered at Kabul, me signal
TTovernment have accepted an offer made by his Majesty's Government to
supoly tnree engines for Italian Romeo aircraft irom stocks n^ld in tne
Middle ^ast, providing that the ^fgnan Government pay tne cost of trans-
Iport and other incidental charges.
(e) Stocks of aviation petrol on the Snerpur and Khwaja Rawash air ^
fields have been reduced slightly, as imports of petrol from In^ia auring
the past three months have been retained at tne^oalalabad airfield, an.^
600 gallons have been dispatched from Kabul to Gardcz*
'f) Appendix M A M to this report gives the number and condition^ of air
craft, and the number of trained or partly trainee, pilots in the Af^.ia.n
air force on 30th April, 1944.
2. H ind Squadrons,
^During February, and up to March 15th, no flying train
ing was carried out in Kabul owing t; adverse weather conditions. Betveen
16th March, and 30th April, flying training was limited to 30 minutes per
pilot per week.