An as-yet-unidentified Afghan defense force aircraft was shot down in Uzbekistan on Sunday, according to the country’s defense ministry. The two crew ejected and were rescued on the ground.
Although there is no official information, the few images released indicate that it is an A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft, designed by Embraer.
The Afghan Air Force insignia appears on the wreckage of the aircraft in a position similar to the wing of the Super Tucano. It is assumed that the crew were trying to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban took the capital Kabul.
Unconfirmed information published by local websites this Monday indicates that the Super Tucano had accidentally collided with an Uzbekistan MiG-29 fighter jet while being escorted. Reuters also reported that 22 military planes and 24 military helicopters fled Afghanistan over the weekend.
Afghanistan has 19 A-29 Super Tucano planes received from the United States as of 2016. They were used precisely to attack rebel positions in the country and were manufactured by Sierra Nevada Corporation, an Embraer partner.
The country’s small air force also operates 24 Cessnas 208s, some C-130 and Y-12 transport planes, and a diverse fleet of helicopters. Part of these aircraft could be taken over by the radical Islamic group after the departure of US military forces.
