Afghan crew in front ot their MiG-17 ‘Fresco’ in 1973

The 1973 Afghan coup overthrew the Afghan king and the Republic of Afghanistan under a one-party system was established. After the coup d' tat, the Soviet Union supplied Afghanistan with a significant amount of arms. At that time, many additional early MiG-17s ‘Fresco-A’ and two-seater MiG-15UTI ‘Midget’ Soviet secon-hand aircraft arrived in Afghanistan at this time.

MiG-17s delivered in the first half of the 1970s did not have afterburning engines. A fighter-bomber and a training aviation regiment of these older models was set up at Shindand (335th Regiment) and Mazar-i-Sharif (393rd Regiement) airfield.

The original delivered in the 1950s, more modern MiG-17Fs ‘Fresco-C’ and the MiG-17PFs ‘Fresco-D’ with radar systems were merged at Kandahar (366th Regiment).

In the Afghan Air Force, the central maintenance of MiG-17s, MiG-15UTIs was carried out at Kabul airport. While the factory overhaul and life extension was carried out at Bagram and the 355th Soviet Aircraft Repair Plant at Chirchik airfield.

Afghan MiG-17 aviation units in the 1970s.

Afghan MiG-17 aviation units in the seventies:

Afghan MiG-17s in the main hangar of the Bagram Aircraft Repair Plant in 1980, already with the new nationality roundel.

After another Afghan coup in 1978, groups of resistance formed in parts of eastern Afghanistan by the fall of 1978, then it was in early 1979 that the situation rapidly escalated to open rebellion.

The air force of the Soviet-influenced Afghan government forces attacked the insurgent forces intensively in the summer and autumn of 1979. Afghan MiG-17s also flew nearly 300 sorties from Shindand and Kandahar airfields during this period!

A large number of Soviet advisors also joined the Afghan Air Force after 1978. They supported the work of Afghan aircrew. In the first half of 1978, the Afghan Air Force had 86 MiG-17 fighter/bomber aircraft and many MiG-15UTI two-seat trainer aircraft. The quantities per airfield:

* The regiment also used IL-28 ‘Beagle’ bombers.
** The regiment also used L-39C Albatros trainer airctaft

All three Afghan aviation regiments also operated MiG-15UTI ‘Midget’ types too.

At this time, the MiG-17s and MiG-15UTIs were also changing in appearance. In 1978 they replaced the old national insignia, to the red round Coat of arms of Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.

Also, some MiG-17s ‘Fresco-A’ and MiG-15UTIs ‘Midget’ were given a sand-brown camouflage during factory maintenance. But this camouflage has not spread. Afghan aircraft continued to be liveried in silver.

Afghan 366th Fighter Aviation Regiment at Kandahar airport in 1980. The MiG-17PF ‘Fresco-D, MiG-17F ‘Fresco-C’and MiG-15UTI ‘Midget’ with black number are original Kandahar aircraft. The older MiG-17 ‘Fresco-A’ aircrafts with blue number arrived from Mazar-i-Sharif airport after 1977. Photo TASS GettyImages

Afghan MiG-17 aviation units in the eighties:

335th Mixed Air Regiment, Shindand

Between 1982 and 1983, the Afghan Su-7 ‘Fitter-A’ bombers were transferred from the Bagram regiment to the 335th regiment in Shindand, gradually replacing the local MiG-17 ‘Fresco’ type. The old IL-28 ‘Beagle’ bombers and the high-speed Su-7s ‘Fitter-A’ flew together at Shindand airport in the second half of the 1980s.
 

366th Fighter Air Regiment, Kandahar

After the Soviet invasion in 1979, several Soviet aviation units relocated to Kandahar airport. They moved here:

• one Soviet helicopter regiment
• an independent helicopter squadron
• one Soviet fighter-bomber squadron with Su-17s
• and from 1984 a Soviet MiG-23 fighter squadron.

The Kandahar airport had only three aprons, of which only two were military. This left no space for the Afghan 366th Fighter Air Regiment.  Therefore, its aircrew was gradually transferred to the other Afghan aviation units, and then disbanded in the first half of the 1980s.

393rd Training Air Regiment, Mazar-i-Sharif and Dehdadi airports

The MiG-17s of the training regiment were replaced by modern L-39C two-seat trainer aircraft of Czechoslovak manufacture.

• The first squadron received the Albatros in 1977. Its blue numbered MiG-17s were flown over to Kandahar airfield.
• The second squadron took delivery of the Albatros between 1983 and 1984. Its aircraft were later transferred to Herta airfield for unknown reasons.

 A ZIL-157 truck towing an Afghan MiG-17F fighter aircraft. Photo: Air International

In the first half of the 1980s, the Soviet Union delivered nearly 150 new MiG-21, Sz-22 combat aircraft and Mi-24/Mi-8 helicopters to Afghanistan. The old MiG-17s, with their low weapon load and mostly short range, were no longer needed. Thus, the veteran MiG-17 ‘Fresco’ and MiG-15UTI ‘Midget’ were largely withdrawn by the mid-1980s, with the crews being retrained on more modern types.

Afghan military aircraft demonstration with weapons at Mazar-i-Sharif airport in 1981

Afghan and Soviet pilots at Kandahar airport in early eighties.

Afghan MiG-17 ‘Fresco’ military units map in the eighties

Afghan 393rd Training Air Regiment’s MiG-17 ‘Fresco-A and MiG-15UTI ‘Midget’ training aircrafts at Mazar-i-Sharif in early eighties

Afghan 393rd Training Air Regiment’s MiG-15UTI Midget’ training aircrafts with camouflage pattern at Mazar-i-Sharif

Two Afghan MiG-17F ‘Fresco-C’ from the 366th Fighter Air Regiment over Kandahar province in early eighties.

The Royal Afghan Air Force’s MiG-17F ‘Fresco-C’ fighter aircrafts in 1960. Photo: embitt scan

The Soviet Union, in the 1950s, established relations with the Kingdom of Afghanistan. In 1955 Nikita Khrushchev also visited Kabul and endorsed Afghan claims against Pakistan. At the same time, a significant amount of arms were supplied to Afghanistan. This included the MiG-17 subsonic fighter aircraft too.

The Kingdom of Afghanistan received three sub-variants in the 1950s:

• MiG-17F 'Fresco-C' day fighter with the VK-1F afterburner engine
• MiG-17PF 'Fresco-D' interceptor with Izumrud RP-2 radar
• MiG-15UTI 'Midget' two-seat trainer aircrafts

MiG-17 ‘Fresco’ fighter at Afghan Air Force
in the seventies and eighties

FLAG