Afghan Interpreters, Others Fast-tracking to Canada

[Infanteer]

It's a disaster, but I don't see the taliban being able to control the entire nation for long.

You're likely not wrong.

Warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum back in the fray as Taliban overwhelm Afghan north

The warlord's prominence in the latest fight with the Taliban lays bare the long-simmering conundrum facing President Ashraf Ghani's administration, which has struggled with on-again, off-again relationships with Afghanistan's ubiquitous strongmen.

m.economictimes.com

Dostum will soon likely make his move. He is getting old though, but another Masood may rise.

 

[daftandbarmy]

You're likely not wrong.

Warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum back in the fray as Taliban overwhelm Afghan north

The warlord's prominence in the latest fight with the Taliban lays bare the long-simmering conundrum facing President Ashraf Ghani's administration, which has struggled with on-again, off-again relationships with Afghanistan's ubiquitous strongmen.

m.economictimes.com

Dostum will soon likely make his move. He is getting old though, but another Masood may rise.

Might be a good first project for these guys:

New Army Ranger Regiment: What We Know So Far​

It will be routinely deployed around the world supporting allied nations in delivering defence and security.

Mozambique and Somalia have been reported as two of the countries under consideration for the first deployment.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the new regiment would be at the forefront of a more "active and engaged" Armed Forces.

The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, meanwhile, said the Ranger Regiment will be the "vanguard of the Army's global footprint", adding that it will be: "Matching brainpower with firepower, data and software with hardware."

However, in time the Special Operations Brigade will select personnel from across the Army.

Ranger Regiment: What we know about the British Army's elite new fighting force

The Rangers draws its name from an elite unit that fought in the British Army in the 18th Century in North America, using irregular tactics.

www.forces.net

 

[CBH99]

Does anybody know what material assets we deployed to Afghanistan to try and evacuate our helpers?

Chartered civilian aircraft? Polaris? C-17?

 

[The Bread Guy]

Does anybody know what material assets we deployed to Afghanistan to try and evacuate our helpers?

Chartered civilian aircraft? Polaris? C-17?

#OpAEGIS hashtag hits from various CF info-machine FB feeds shows Hercs, Globemasters & Polaris, as well as what appear to be charter planes, bringing terps et. al. out as recently as 2 days ago according to dates on the posts. I suspect other stuff may also be in play over and above what the info machine wants us to see.

 

[CBH99]

I know this is going to sound petty. I apologize.

But the Polaris deployed just so happens to be the PM’s aircraft? None for the others were available and ready?

Really…?? Or am I assuming the worst and being petty?


Regardless. Good info and pics. Thanks Bread

 

[The Bread Guy]

But the Polaris deployed just so happens to be the PM’s aircraft? None for the others were available and ready?

Really…?? Or am I assuming the worst and being petty?

Can't blame you for being cynical these days (disappointed less often than being optimistic some days), but I'm wild-ass guessing given the tempo of the situation, it may have been more of a "happy to have ANY military plane available join the party" thing. I stand to be corrected, though.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Usual initial reports/bought-and-paid-for media caveats apply ....

Civilian allies of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are being left to die in Kabul as politicians in Ottawa refuse to give the green light to a ready-to-go evacuation plan, the Sun has learned.

Several sources within CAF tell the Sun a 17-member Non-combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) advance team arrived at Ali Al Salem Air Base near Kuwait City late last week to link up with U.S. and U.K. teams already on the ground in Kabul — but have yet to receive orders to deploy.

The NEO team is made up of components of 1st Canadian Division out of CFB Kingston and arrived Friday in Kuwait aboard a CC-150 Polaris transport plane.

(...)

One embassy worker in contact with the Toronto Sun said he has been forced to watch half-empty airplanes depart from Kabul because Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) staff wouldn’t accept his paperwork without an embassy appointment to submit ‘biometric’ data including fingerprints and photos.

(...)

More here.

 

[dapaterson]

If the refuellers are tasked, and another tail is on overhaul, your options are limited.

Plus the VIP bird is just out of extensive repairs after an unfortunate incident involving gravity and a hanger wall.

 

[brihard]

Does anybody know what material assets we deployed to Afghanistan to try and evacuate our helpers?

Chartered civilian aircraft? Polaris? C-17?

OSINT plane nerds have a C17 and two Hercs in Kuwait; another C17 and a Polaris in Germany. This is from public transponder tracking.

US has flooded the airspace with KC-135 tankers. Lots of aerial gas stations flying out of Doha over the gulf of Oman and up over Afgh. I assume our birds can drink from those taps?

 

[dimsum]

OSINT plane nerds have a C17 and two Hercs in Kuwait; another C17 and a Polaris in Germany. This is from public transponder tracking.

US has flooded the airspace with KC-135 tankers. Lots of aerial gas stations flying out of Doha over the gulf of Oman and up over Afgh. I assume our birds can drink from those taps?

I don't think our Polaris or Hercs are equipped for inflight refuelling. But our C-17s are.

But the Polaris deployed just so happens to be the PM’s aircraft? None for the others were available and ready?

I'm not involved in that sqn, but from previous experience they don't hold back the painted CC-150 just in case the PM wants it.

Besides, in the next 36 days, he's not going anywhere a Challenger can't take him.

 

[dimsum]

.

 

[Good2Golf]

Good Lord, what virtuous drivel!!!

#istandwithtrudeau ???

If by ‘stand’ @kaythird means ‘and spew meaningless words that mean nothing to those who won’t be saved’ then sure…enjoy your woke echo chamber…

 

[daftandbarmy]

Good Lord, what virtuous drivel!!!

#istandwithtrudeau ???

If by ‘stand’ @kaythird means ‘and spew meaningless words that mean nothing to those who won’t be saved’ then sure…enjoy your woke echo chamber…

View attachment 66069

 

[SeaKingTacco]

If the refuellers are tasked, and another tail is on overhaul, your options are limited.

Plus the VIP bird is just out of extensive repairs after an unfortunate incident involving gravity and a hanger wall.

The “VIP” bird is mostly just a paint job. it gets tasked to haul, just like the rest.

As for Brihard’s question about can the CC177s air to air refuel, yes they can. However, our crews do not maintain the qualification.

 

[Maxman1]

Toss in countless former military members not killed on the battlefield and allowed to return to their villages? At some point regions are going to start breaking away.

That's a very, very optimistic view.

If Afghani's were provided with the means to defend themselves, would they revolt again the Taliban?

For the past twenty years we've been doing exactly that. This is the result. Ask any veteran how much fun it was working with ANA personnel who show up in flip flops and rusty AKs that may or may not work. Or adjust the sights to the maximum elevation to "turn up the power."

 

[The Bread Guy]

One OSINT/aviation geek tracking mil aircraft @ Kabul

 

[daftandbarmy]

Not just the interpreters either....

 

[dimsum]

One OSINT/aviation geek tracking mil aircraft @ Kabul
View attachment 66076

One of the more interesting aircraft in the "stack" is the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN).

Battlefield Airborne Communications Node - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[brihard]

One of the more interesting aircraft in the "stack" is the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN).

Battlefield Airborne Communications Node - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

There have been a few interesting ones, yeah. A Rivet Joint did a big survey of the Kabul AO earlier today.

A Canadian C-17 left Kuwait and returned to Europe, a separate C-17 (177705) came over from Canada last night, fueled in Germany, and landed in Kuwait a short while ago. Fingers crossed.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Any word on rhe disposition of our Gurka embassy security? Or are they on their own?