Kabul, Jan 26 : The
Afghan air force is expected to be complete by 2016 in both equipment and staff
training, Isaf spokesman Gen. Gunter Katz said.
"Isaf will continue its
enduring support [for the Afghan National Security Forces]. I can give you one
area which is well known to you – it's the air force. We had to start from zero
and it takes just a while to build the air force. It's not the weakness of
Afghan National Security Forces, it's normal," Katz said.
"We need to
train those guys in particular in English language and it takes very long, you
know, to train them on technical issues and pilot training takes a while. We
expect the air force to be ready by 2016."
He also said Isaf and Nato
welcomes the government's decision to soon move into the fifth tranche of the
security transition.
"Mr. Karzai is in a position to announce the fifth
tranche earlier, that means in spring. I think this what has been said and
because of the progress ANSF has made, this is something Isaf and Nato
welcomes,"
Katz's comments come on the same day that President Hamid
Karzai revealed that the US will purchase four cargo planes, 20 Mi-17
helicopters and intelligence-gathering drones for the Afghan air force by end of
this year.
Ends
SA/EN
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