A lot of the equipment we gave the ANA was simply taken over by the Taliban; much like what the NVA did once they marched into Saigon in 1975.
From M4s and M16s to Blackhawk helicopters and Super Tucano ground attack aircraft. Plus tons of ammunition, fuel, uniforms, field gear, NODs… You name it.
We left a lot of good gear behind.
I believe every NATO country left some good stuff behind, albeit probably not nearly as much as the US. Thing is they will never be able to maintain the equipment to any standard after a couple of years when spares run out and there is zero support or software upgrades. It’s not like Russian garbage equipment, chicken wire and a broom stick, bam, just fixed a next gen fighter jet.
I really liked the yellow palm oil jug IED unit on motorcycles.
Anyone think those SCUD’s work?
The black arms market has been able to help them keep equipment going for a while. Plenty of bad actors will lend a hand if there is money to be made.
Think of how much we left in Germany in 1945. Almost none of that came home.
How can any foreign nation question our proud tradition of leveling our enemies infrastructure and then rebuilding their country to a standard that enables them to surpass ourselves in education, industry and production, agriculture and global trade.
Our good will even compels us to sell our latest technology and weaponry to struggling nations only to have them use those weapons to confront us. What a crazy way to govern a nation.
Cajun 
If you can find it on streaming platforms etc there is a documentary called Hollywoodgate- it focuses on the new Taliban regime’s head of the Air Force- plenty of shots of equipment/stores left behind including Russian made stuff too. Besides the equipment etc it’s a fascinating insight into the first months of the new regime.
“The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.”
Apocryphal, but it hits the nail on the head…
The great thing about compulsory beards, one whiff of Novichok and they’ll all be SLUDding.
Cheers,
M
lets not for get the NVA had additional help in maintaining American equipment in the form of the POW/MIA’S such as Bobby Garwood.
Iran also managed to keep many of their F14’s going long after they fell out of favour with the west. i suspect the taliban will keep ground vehicles going for some time but blackhawk helicopters are something else as one taliban pilot only learned to fly using computer simulation games and promptly crashed…there is a video of it on YouTube somewhere.
i would love to know what us Brits left behind as that hasn’t been publicised much over here.
Practically nothing I believe; I saw something on the box (possibly Top Gear) about the complex procedures for returning equipment to the U.K. in order to avoid any form of contamination (primarily biological) being imported…
Cheers,
M
In the docu I mentioned the majority of stuff in the warehouses and buildings was non-military goods- pharmacy stores, spare parts- basic stuff that would be in base inventories to keep things running. Lots of other stuff like furniture, tvs, fridges and large non-specialist stuff like that still seemed to be present.
Iran has managed to keep the F-5s, F-4s and F-14s they inherited from the Shah in the air… But they have some semblance of a military tech base. The taliban seems to be heading for a more Bronze age level. (of course, they have driven out every invader since Alexander the Great including the Brits… a couple times… the Soviets, US (and all the rest of the coalition). On the flip side, the Western World bought their own racist propaganda about Japan and that bit us in the ass in a big way… Old age and treachery beat out youth and tech…
Germany put much efforts into desinfection when we went out of AFG and Mali.
The industry didn’t want a lot of almost new trucks coming home and ruining the marekt for new trucks. The cost for bringing things home also need to be considered.
Big army needs lots of trucks, smaller peacetime army needs a lot less.
What to do with the surplus? Sell, use or store?
Use: no, don’t need it
Store: no, costs too much
Sell: industry back home says “H-ll No!”, might not even cover the cost for bringing it home.
Solution: Sell or dispose overseas. My dad saw lots of advertising in Sweden for suprlus equipment. The only problem was that the buyer had to go pick it up where it was stored.
Britain to had a very narrow minded view of the Japanese during WW2, our own stupidity and arrogance cost us the loss of “fortress” Singapore, all of the guns were pointed seawards as none of the over promoted military never imagined an attack coming from the north/malaya.
as for America’s defeat in Afghanistan, this is partially understandable but Britain has no excuse, we have left Afghanistan 3 times in the past and each time it has been a resounding loss. this simply due to idiot politicians not bothering to read history books and so another military failure there was inevitable.
We sadly don’t seem to produce any other sort lately, and they certainly don’t ever read history.
Narrator says these are extra fuel cans.Maybe this is a LRRP unit?
Hermann, these particular jugs were favourites of the Taliban for mixing HME (Homemade Explosives) in wrapped in detonation cord and making IED’s out of them.
We always kept eyes out for “yellow palm oil jugs” alongside the road in vulnerable spots. The same was said about keeping eyes open for a white Toyota Corolla that is riding low.
Very little was left behind. There is a lot more accountability with kit.