Concerns about Afghan air force were 'being actively addressed,' Pentagon spokesperson says

U.S. Air Force plane in Afghanistan
(Image credit: ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/GettyImages)

A Defense Department spokesperson said that a recently declassified government report casting doubt on the Afghan air force's ability to operate without U.S. support was based on old data and that the concerns it raised were "being actively addressed" in the months prior to withdrawal.

According to the report from Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Spoko, which was submitted to DoD in Jan. 2021, American forces in Afghanistan were aware the country's air force could not survive without American support. "In particular," The Associated Press reports, "the report points to U.S. failure to train Afghan support staff, leaving the air force unable to maintain its aircraft without American contractors."

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Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.