MD Helicopters supports Afghan MD530Fs....

via UPI.

MD Helicopters Inc. has received a $76.7 million contract for logistical and contractor support for the MD 530F helicopter, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday. The contract falls under foreign military sales to the Afghanistan Air Force.

U.S. Army Fiscal 2017 funds of $37.6 million have been allocated to the program. Work will be completed in Mesa, Ariz., and Afghanistan. The program is expected to be finished by May 31, 2018.

"The MD-530s are flying multiple missions a day across Afghanistan," Air Force Lt. Col. Bill Ashford of the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron said last year following delivery of 27 of the helicopters to Afghanistan last year.

"They are often engaged in providing aerial escort to convoys, providing over-watch to ANDSF operations and responding to 'troops in contact' situations."

This is a totally unremarkable story except for a couple of issues it highlights. First the MD530 is a lightweight and by comparison, simple helicopter.  That MD is able to get such a meaty contract to support them is disturbing.

The Afghans will NEVER be able to form a proper military.  We've been training and advising for over a decade and it should be obvious by now.  They either don't want to, or can't learn to fight the "US way".

Maybe we should supply them with Vietnam era weapons instead.  They face an insurgency, not a high tech army.  I believe we should supply them accordingly.

Next is how we've approached fighting in Afghanistan.

We've been pushing that advise and assist nonsense for far too long.  It's past time for the US military to step aside and let the tribes determine their own futures.  Either they agree to stop fighting or they don't.  But we get out of the way and let them determine their own future.

If a threat pops up in the future then we solve it with some modern day B-52 Arc Light missions that make the MOAB strike look like a gentle spring shower.

It's past time to stop spending blood and treasure on people that won't fight for themselves.