The recording comes days after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that a “good deal” of American weaponry “has fallen into the hands of the Taliban.”
A video, shared on social media Wednesday, shows a US-made UH-60 Black Hawk looping the runway at Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan. Although the aircraft is believed to be operated by the Taliban * , the fact is not confirmed, and the video, approximately one minute long, did not show its takeoff.
For their part, experts say it is unclear if there is anyone among the Taliban with the knowledge to successfully control such devices. Joseph Dempsey, a defense research associate and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said on Twitter that it is “important to note that the (helicopter) is only shown rolling, not flying.”
Reportedly a #Taliban captured #Afghanistan Air Force UH-60 Blackhawk at Kandahar. Important to note it is only shown taxiing not flying. pic.twitter.com/xMYX8QJiwa
— Joseph Dempsey (@JosephHDempsey) August 25, 2021
The news comes after US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said last week that a “good deal” of American weaponry “has fallen into the hands of the Taliban.” “Obviously, we don’t have a complete picture of where every piece of defense materials has gone, ” Sullivan told reporters last Tuesday.
The US has spent $ 83 billion on training and equipment for the Afghan Army since 2001, including Humvee vehicles and Black Hawk helicopters. Seven Black Hawk helicopters arrived in Afghanistan last month , and some of them may now be in the hands of the Taliban.