Air Force (Afghanistan)

Last modified: 2002-11-23 by santiago dotor
Keywords: afghanistan | air force | roundel (air force) | star (red) |
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• Introduction
• Air Force Roundel ca.1985
• Northern Alliance Air Force Roundel 2001

See also:

• Fin Flash 1937-1967
• Afghanistan

I don't know if they've changed since, but they were previously different. In my book (1967), Afghanistan roundels appear as:

• 1929: White circle with "Allah" written above "Akbar", surrounded by a dark green ring, then a red ring and then a black ring.
• 1929 to 1965: Black, red, dark green roundel, with in 1945, additional green, red, black stripes, as well as roundels on the wings.
• 1966: An isosceles triangle one point at north (12 o'clock), divided equally into black to the right, red to the bottom, and dark green to the left. Set on a white circle, the points of the triangle not touching the circumference.

David Prothero, 12 July 1997

I wonder what roundel and/or fin flash do the Taleban use?

Santiago Dotor, 9 October 2001

by Mark Sensen

In Flaggenmitteilung no. 108 (April 1985) I found four air force roundels, including Afghanistan. It is possible these emblems changed, especially that of Afghanistan.

Mark Sensen, 10 July 1997

by Brent Jacobs and Santiago Dotor

The air force roundel currently being used by the loyalist Northern Alliance.

Brent Jacobs, 8 October 2001

I would like to know when did the current roundel (as used by the loyalist Northern Alliance) appear? It looks identical to the 1966 one mentioned above by David Prothero, only removing the bottom, red area of the triangle (hence leaving a spearhead shape). A detailed French television report about Cdr. Massoud (Massoud l'Afghan by Christophe de Pontilly) showed a couple of times the roundel on helicopters transporting him, but I am not sure whether the central element was a spearhead or simply a triangle (half black, half green).

Santiago Dotor, 9 October 2001