US, Taliban transfer billions in American-made weapons

Jan 31, 2023

Ryan Robertson Anchor, Investigative Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor, Investigative Reporter)

American-made weapons are really good at getting the job done. Their proficiency is why so many militaries around the world are currently buying American weapons by the boatload. Except the Taliban. They inherited a trove of American-made weapons when the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. Now, many of those weapons are being used by militants in Kashmir.

Before the fall of Kabul, the Afghan government had $7.1 billion in U.S. military equipment, including half a billion dollars in small arms weapons like rifles.

Now, two militant groups in Indian-controlled Kashmir are trying to annex the region for Pakistan. According to NBC News, fighters from Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were seen carrying M4s, M16s, night-vision goggles and other American-made weapons and gear.

So far, there have been no substantiated reports of weapons left behind by the U.S. in Afghanistan ending up in conflict zones outside of Afghanistan and Kashmir. However, it’s likely just a matter of time before the Taliban uses its network of smuggling operations to deliver American-made weapons to potential bad actors.

Meanwhile, on the legitimate weapons sales front, U.S. defense contractors had a banner year in fiscal 2022. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported the U.S. transferred about $52 billion in arms to foreign countries in fiscal 2022. That’s up nearly 50% from the year before.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s aggressive posturing toward Taiwan, and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic are all contributing to the increase in arms transfers.

Some of the arms transfers in 2022 included countries looking to upgrade, like going from Howitzers to HIMARS. Indonesia is in line for some F-15s. Egypt should get Chinook helicopters. Central European countries want anything that’s been used effectively against Russia in Ukraine.

While 2022 did see a significant jump in arms sales, the three-year rolling average is actually down about 2.7%. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it’s likely a lingering effect of the pandemic slowdown.

Tags: Afghanistan, China, HIMARS, Kabul, Pakistan, Russia, Taiwan, Taliban, Ukraine

US-MADE WEAPONS ARE REALLY GOOD AT GETTING THE JOB DONE. IT’S WHY SO MANY MILITARIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE CURRENTLY BUYING AMERICAN WEAPONS BY THE BOATLOAD.

EXCEPT THE TALIBAN. THEY INHERITED A TROVE OF US-MADE WEAPONS WHEN THE U-S WITHDREW FROM AFGHANISTAN IN 2021. NOW, MANY OF THOSE WEAPONS ARE BEING USED BY MILITANTS IN KASHMIR

BEFORE THE FALL OF KABUL–THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT HAD $7.1 BILLION IN US MILITARY EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN SMALL ARMS WEAPONS LIKE RIFLES.

NOW, TWO MILITANT GROUPS IN INDIAN-CONTROLLED KASHMIR ARE TRYING TO ANNEX THE REGION FOR PAKISTAN. FIGHTERS FROM EACH GROUP ARE REPORTEDLY CARRYING M4s, M16s AND OTHER US MADE WEAPONS.

SO FAR, THERE HAVE BEEN NO SUBSTANTIATED REPORTS OF WEAPONS LEFT BEHIND BY THE US IN AFGHANISTAN ENDING UP IN CONFLICT ZONES OUTSIDE OF AFGHANISTAN AND KASHMIR. HOWEVER, IT’S LIKELY JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE TALIBAN USES ITS NETWORK OF SMUGGLING OPERATIONS TO DELIVER US MADE WEAPONS TO POTENTIAL BAD ACTORS.

MEANWHILE, ON THE LEGITIMATE WEAPONS SALES FRONT, US DEFENSE CONTRACTORS HAD A BANNER YEAR IN FISCAL 2022. THE DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY REPORTS THE US TRANSFERRED ABOUT $52 BILLION IN ARMS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES IN FISCAL 2022. THAT’S UP NEARLY 50 PERCENT FROM THE YEAR BEFORE.

RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE, CHINA’S AGGRESSIVE POSTURING TOWARD TAIWAN, AND THE END OF THE COVID PANDEMIC ARE ALL CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCREASE IN ARMS TRANSFERS.

SOME OF THE ARMS TRANSFERS IN 2022 INCLUDED COUNTRIES LOOKING TO UPGRADE, LIKE GOING FROM HOWITZERS TO HIMARS. INDONESIA IS IN LINE FOR SOME F-15s. EGYPT SHOULD GET CHINOOKS. CENTRAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WANT ANYTHING THAT’S BEEN USED EFFECTIVELY AGAINST RUSSIA IN UKRAINE.

WHILE 2022 DID SEE A SIGNIFICANT JUMP IN ARMS SALES, THE THREE-YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE IS ACTUALLY DOWN ABOUT 2.7 PERCENT. THE DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY SAID IT’S LIKELY A LINGERING EFFECT OF THE PANDEMIC SLOW DOWN.

FOR MORE ON US-MADE WEAPONS SYSTEMS, AND THEIR IMPACT AROUND THE WORLD, BE SURE TO CHECKOUT THE MANY STORIES WE HAVE ON THESE TOPICS AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM, WHERE YOU’LL ALWAYS FIND UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.