The capability of the Afghan Taliban’s armed forces is declining, with a fall in their ability to use foreign equipment that the Islamist group seized when it returned to power in the landlocked country in 2021.
A lack of international recognition for the Taliban administration has also hurt military modernisation.
The strength of the Afghan Taliban’s military is thinner compared to Pakistan’s, with only 172,000 active personnel. The group has, however, announced plans to expand its armed forces to 200,000 personnel.
The Afghan forces possess armoured fighting vehicles, including Soviet-era main battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers and autonomous underwater vehicles, but their exact number is unknown.
The precise number of artillery pieces they possess, which is of at least three different types, is similarly not known.
Afghanistan has no fighter jets and no real air force to speak of. It is known to possess at least six aircraft — some of them dating back to the Soviet era — and 23 helicopters, although it is not possible to assess how many are in flying condition.
Afghanistan does not have a nuclear arsenal, unlike Pakistan. – Reuters
