Humvees support a step towards self-sufficiency: MoD

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday welcomed the manufacturing of 1673 high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs) for Afghan forces under a $356 million contract signed with AM General, a US-based heavy vehicle manufacturing company.

The company would manufacture and deliver the HMMWVs, also known as Humvees, to the US govement for further delivery to the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police by 2017.

Brig. Gen. Mohammad Radmansh, deputy MoD spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News the US govement had signed the contract a few days ago with the company.

While welcoming the assistance, he said it was another step leasing the Afghan forces towards self-sufficiency.

But a recent report by SIGAR, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, said Afghanistan remained with many insoluble issues.

It said despite the Pentagon’s $17 billion assistance, the Afghan forces still lacked ammunition and other military equipment. SIGAR said out the $17 billion, $13 billion were allocated to equip soldiers and $4.2 to equip police.

Based on the strategic pact between Kabul and Washington, the US has pledged $4 billion to Afghan security forces aually.

sns/ma