Uzbekistan has sent seven Black Hawk helicopters to the United States, which were used by Afghan pilots to evacuate from Afghanistan in August 2021 while fleeing from the Taliban. Voice of America reported this during an event at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington, dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of the country's Armed Forces.
A Signal of Strategic Partnership
At the meeting, Uzbekistan's ambassador Furkat Sidikov emphasized that Tashkent and Washington are strategic partners in the fields of security and defense. He expressed readiness to expand cooperation with the U.S., highlighting the importance of bilateral military programs and exchanges.
Davis Florick, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense of the United States, confirmed that America and Uzbekistan maintain strong trust and effective communication in defense matters.
According to him, Washington collaborates with Tashkent not only to strengthen bilateral relations but also to ensure stability in Central Asia.
Rear Admiral Erin Osborne of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that cooperation with Uzbekistan's Air Force, including intelligence operations, is considered an 'investment in regional peace'.
Dispute Over Afghan Aircraft
After the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, Afghan pilots fled to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan using aircraft and helicopters that had been previously provided to the Afghan Air Force by Washington. According to Pentagon data, Uzbekistan received 46 aircraft, while Tajikistan received 18.
In April 2022, Uzbekistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, stated that the country intended to return the aircraft to the United States, emphasizing that they had been purchased by the U.S. government. However, the Taliban insisted that the helicopters should be returned to Afghanistan as the "property of the Afghan people."
Negotiations between the U.S., Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan over the fate of the aircraft have been ongoing since 2021. During the January 31 event, Pentagon representatives confirmed that dozens of Afghan planes and helicopters had been left in Uzbekistan, but some of them had already been returned to the United States.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
February 5, 2025