Bagram Airbase
Sunday, 10th July 2005 by
Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan is currently being used by US forces as part of operation "Enduring Freedom" (geez, who makes up these names?). The Airbase played a key role during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan back in the '70s, serving as a base of operations for troops and supplies. Aircraft based at Bagram provided close air support for Soviet and Afghan troops in the field.
In 1989 the Soviets pulled out due to international pressures and the loss of over 15,000 troops due to the US funded mujahideen fighters. Fighting subsequently continued among the various mujahidin factions. This eventually gave rise to a state of warlordism. The chaos and corruption involved in warlordism in turn spawned the rise of the Taliban. The US and an international force intervened (again) in 2001 with the invasion of Afghanistan and re-claimed Bagram Airbase with its 10,000 foot landing strip.
The following picture is an old satellite shot from the '70s showing a Soviet Mig parked just off the main strip...
...and this is what it looks like now:
cool huh? 🙂
There are lots of other interesting aircraft parked at the airbase. Single and twin rotar helicopters (Chinooks, Blackhawks & Apaches), A-10 tankbusters, a huge bomber C-17 cargo plane and some AV-8B Harrier jump-jets. Thanks for all your aircraft identification help!
Thanks: Joe Phillips, seamus & Heinz Felber
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The large aircraft is not a bomber. It appears to be a C17, which is a cargo plane.
There appear to be some AV-8B Harrier jumjets just north of th A-10’s. You can also make out some Chinooks, Blackhawks and Apaches. Also a couple C-130’s (The could be AC-130 Gunships, aka Spooky’s)
http://tinyurl.com/bf7bx
This odd double image of a C17 in flight is Northeast of the airstrip and there appears to be a shadow to the Northwest of the C17 near the river.
Indeed there are A10, AV8B Harriers, AC130s, C17 and several helo makes (is there some cobras I spy in the mix?). It appears that there are some leftover migs parked next to the AC130s.
Also, it is noteworthy to mention the huge section of the airstrip that is under repair in the center. Each of the aircraft parked on the tarmac are cable of operating from short fields.
Thanks for the identification help guys. I’ve updated the main post.
Well just b/c you updated the post doesn’t mean you have to erase the posts we made.
Sorry? I haven’t deleted any posts…
you should change the Alt tag on the c-17 image (it still says bomber)
Also of note, check out this pile of junked Soviet equpiment at the end of the main runway:
View Placemark
Rather… this link:
View Placemark
Well spotted DJ Swammi. Thanks gIMpSTa, I’ve udpated the post.
[quote]The following picture is an old satellite shot from the ’70s showing a Soviet Mig parked just off the main strip[/quote]
The satellite images were taken on August 13, 2001, not in the ’70s like you claim.
An update for you… I am at bagram airbase and can see the differences since the above satellite images were taken. US and coalition forces have cleaned up most of the interesting abandon Soviet equipment. Almost all of the aircraft seen in the images are gone as well as most of the armor and misc. equipment they left behind. There is still some scattered about but the place is vastly different from the Aug 2003 photos.
Wow, thanks Sigo.
It still blows my mind when people are actually at the places we show.
can we say-opsec?
According to the Swiss Television, Bagram is “the second Guantanamo” with a secred prison.
there were no cobras at the time of the pics there were 6 harriers and the c-130 is not a gun ship, just a c-130
OPSEC, for sure! This should not be online! Even though it is an old picture. It puts thousands of troops lives at risk. Sigo you should be fired for giving information out like that!
OPSEC? Everything sigo said is opensource type stuff. If he told you what time a plane was leaving or exactly what type of plane and what it was carrying that would be some OPSEC stuff. (I know, really really late post but i just found this lol).