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    Afghan Air Corps C-27 Program Becomes Operational

    Afghan Air Corps C-27 Program Becomes Operational

    Photo By Tech. Sgt. Markus Maier | A C-27 transport plane takes off for the first Afghan army air corps operational...... read more read more

    KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan national army air corps C-27 cargo transport plane flew its first operational mission from Kabul to Kandahar March 24 with an almost all-Afghan crew.

    The C-27 is the newest addition to the ANAAC fleet of 46 aircraft and has been a training aircraft the last five months. During its first operational flight, this C-27 and crew transported more than 2,800 pounds of emergency medical equipment for coalition troops at Kandahar Airfield.

    The historic flight was marked by a ceremony hosted by Afghan National Army Chief of Staff, General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, who said that the new capability was good news for the people of Afghanistan.

    "An aircraft program [like this] back in the United States going from ground zero to qualified air crews and initial operationally capable would take years," said Air Force Lt. Col. James Piel, commander of 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, Combined Air Power Transition — Command. "But here we have been able to achieve that in a matter of five months, with the hope of becoming fully Afghan operational in one year."

    The transport potential that the C-27 aircraft brings to the Afghan Army Air Corps will help develop Afghanistan as an independent nation and it will help bring Afghanistan onto the world stage, according to Piel.

    "We are bringing them unprecedented capabilities with the ability to move large numbers of cargo and troops around the country as well as new strategic capabilities for allowing President Karzai access to political leaders around the world, which is a significant piece of the C-27 program," said Piel.

    With the exception of the aircraft commander, the C-27 operational flight was led by an all-Afghan crew, including its co-pilot, Lt. Faaiz Ramaki, who is the ANAAC's first-qualified C-27 pilot.

    "This shows our abilities to the coalition forces and that our instructors will call upon us ... to help our brothers in this war," Ramaki said.

    Along with senior loadmaster Sgt. Maj. Nabi Zada Shanawaz, who will perform his final check-ride for full crew qualification next week, these ANAAC soldiers are building the Afghan national army air corps, which is expected to grow to an estimated 130 aircraft.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 03.24.2010
    Date Posted: 03.24.2010 14:04
    Story ID: 47154
    Location: KABUL, AF

    Web Views: 336
    Downloads: 305

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