The first two Afghan air force pilots to complete the 16-month basic aviator training in the United States are now qualified as co-pilots of the Mi-17 helicopter, the primary rotary-wing asset in the AAF’s fleet. First Lieutenant Abdul Saboor Amin and 1st Lt. Ahmad Fawad Haidari completed their first check-ride—the halfway mark in their Mi-17 training—earlier this month over Kabul, demonstrating their control and understanding of the aircraft. “I would give them the highest marks I can hand out,” said USAF Lt. Col. Mace Kant, an Mi-17 pilot advisor and the instructor pilot on the check-ride. “The first check-ride is always the hardest because you learn the aircraft the most and it encompasses the most studying and learning, but they did very well.” (Kabul release)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
