Afghan Air Force receives further four MD-530F helicopters.

The Afghan Air Force (AAF) received another four MD-530F light attack helicopters from the United States, the country's Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Sunday, December 23.

Two AAF MD-530Fs used in counter-insurgency operations
(Credit: Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan)

These helicopters, which are part are part of 30 MD 530F Cayuse Warrior helicopters for AAF that were ordered last year, were delivered to the AAF on Saturday. Pilots for the aircraft had already been trained and other technical staff made available, the Afghan MoD spokesman Javid Ahmad Ghafoor said. 

The AAF has received the first five MD-530F attack helicopters in September, the manufacturer MD Helicopters Inc. then announced. This latest delivery brings up the total number of such helicopters owned by AAF to 34. The remaining 21 helicopters will be delivered over the next nine months, for a final AAF fleet of 55.

Besides the MD-530F helicopters, the Afghan security forces will receive the first AC-208 Combat Caravan aircraft in January 2019 and seven more ISR and light attack aircraft until March 2019.