مجموعة ٥/٧٣ "سلاح الجو الأفغاني: تقارير" [و‎‎٣‎٧] (٤٣١/٧٣)

Para l(c)(i) Contd,
Page 2,
(ii)
(iii)
iraining School in Kabul to undertake the training
oi more pilots this summer.
In December last the Afghan Govt asked for the supply
oi 6 civro XIX light transport cum operational aircraft
^ years spares with delivery in April
ld46. The manufacturers could not however promise
dgiivery before February to April 1947, and in view
oi this the Afghan Govt decided to increase their
order from 6 to 12 Avrc) XlXs. These aircraft ar:
be fitted with machine guns and bomb racks, and
will be utilized for operations against the tribes
as well as for supply drooping and the tranpsort of
passengers and .mail. ;
In view of the pog* ibility of tho simultaneous out
break of tribal disturbances in the Eastern and Southern
i royinces this summer, the Afghan Govt feel that they
rnuso be ready to meet such a threat and bridge the
i-nod before the arrival of the- new Avro XIXs. They
iaye therefore asked the Govt of India to supply them
with a sample second hand Hurricane II G aircraft on
payment. Although it is realised that the Hurricane
is not wholly suitable for use in Afghanistan it is
proposed to test out the sample aircraft in Kabul, and
should it prove reasonably satisfactory, to place an
anything up to 12 second hand Hurricanes
E
order for a.
tpgether with sparesfor 5 years. The sample aircraft
will probably be delivered m Kabul about uhe end of
^fey.
obsolete and the spares position most difficult. They would
like to have a more up to date equivalent of the Hind general
purpose aircrait but know that modern tendencies'are all against
the manufacture of this type. They hav£ therefore to think
m terms of securing the next best and also consider what they
c an af.ord to buy and maintain. In trainer aircraft they have
probably come to tho wisest d* psion in the purchase of Tiger
x^pths, while the proposal 4 to buy 12 Avro XIX aircraft will
give the Afghan a-ovt a,fairly economical type of aircraft capable
mail t and,passenger services wnenever a main world civil air
seryipe is established in Afghanistan- There are certain
political,factors which come into the picture over the problem
of supplying the Afghan Govt with.Avro IIX aircraft. These are:-
iirstly, that a British typo of light transport aircraft will
be introduced into the country through the Afghan Air Force,
control vail be in^Afghan hands but the advisory ground staff
. remaln essentially Britij&f, secondly, that neither the
Hussians or the U.S.A. can possibly object to the Afghans
developing their own civil air services of a feeder type through
thejfghan Air Force,, thirdly, that any future developments
in the Air Force will ulti.nately^ react or should
advantage by reason of an cstnblishfid nnsif.-inn
oi this kind
react to our
influence we have built up at considerable expense during the
last 8 years through the Afghan Govt obtaining the light
transport aircraft they require from some other foreign country.
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