Questionable if Taliban Can Actually Use High-Tech Equipment Biden Left Behind

Following the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban has been flaunting the spoils of its conquest all over social media, from its newfound “special forces” unit to its armada of American black hawk helicopters. With all this equipment that President Biden has left behind, the question on everyone’s mind is: can they actually use it?

While the Taliban’s much-trumpeted upgrade has its share of shock (possibly even comedic) value, Americans would do better to remember that all those propaganda blitzes are just that: propaganda.

Speaking to The Washington Post, experts noted that while the Taliban’s new arsenal certainly carries heavy symbolic weight, it comes with a load of practical hurdles that its members are just not equipped to handle:

For the Taliban, the most useful technology could be comparatively low-tech, and not always U.S. made. The group has already shown the ability to use Russian-era D-30 howitzer artillery, for example. But the loss of so much U.S. equipment could still provide further embarrassment for Washington.

Joseph Dempsey, a research analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, said that group would probably struggle to maintain or even operate most U.S. aircraft due to their technological complexity. “That said, do not be surprised if we still see some U.S. supplied types flying with new flags,” he said.

While the Taliban certainly has experience with co-opting equipment left behind by foreign invaders, such as the 20 Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets that formed their “air force” in the 1990s, the group will likely be able to maintain the abandoned equipment without a bevy of foreign contractors – READ MORE