Thirty Mi-17 helicopters are among the aircraft intended for the Afghan troops
A US watchdog has advised the Pentagon to ground plans to spend $ 780m (£513m) on 48 aircraft for the Afghan military, as their pilots lack expertise.
The planes and helicopters are intended for the Afghan Special Mission Wing (SMW), but the audit found the unit has no command structure.
Only seven Afghan pilots were trained to fly with night-vision goggles, according to the report.
It could take 10 years before the unit is self-sufficient, said the watchdog.
The audit also noted the US currently carried out most of the aircraft repair and maintenance for the Afghans.
The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction report found the Afghans could not carry out counter-militancy missions as most of the SMW’s 47 pilots could not fly at night.
The report said finding qualified candidates was difficult
The audit also cited difficulties in finding candidates who were literate and able to pass the exhaustive 18-20 month US vetting process.
“The Afghans lack the capacity – in both personnel numbers and expertise – to operate and maintain the existing and planned SMW fleets,” the report said.
As a result, the planes “could be left sitting on runways in Afghanistan, rather than supporting critical missions, resulting in waste of US funds”, the audit said.
“We maintain that moving forward with the acquisition of these aircraft is imprudent,” it added.
The Pentagon has a $ 218m contract with Nevada-based Sierra Nevada Corporation for 18 PC-12 fixed-wing aircraft and a $ 554m deal with a Russian firm, Rosoboronexport, for 30 Mi-17 helicopters, according to the audit.
The report also recommended the programme be halted until the Afghan interior and defence ministries could sign a memorandum of understanding, putting the SMW under the control of the nation’s military.
But the audit blamed the interior ministry for “resistance to surrendering authority” to the Afghan armed forces.
US defence officials said suspending the programme “would not be in our national interest”.
“Delaying contract award pending agreement between the ministries on transition of SMW administrative control would unacceptably delay our efforts to develop the SMW into a capable force,” said Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary Michael Dumont.
US-Afghan aircraft deal "wasteful"
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