The Taliban missed out: The U.S. has returned seven Black Hawk helicopters from Uzbekistan.

The United States of America has successfully repatriated a portion of military aviation equipment that was previously relocated to Uzbekistan by Afghan pilots during the power transition in Afghanistan in August 2021. This information was officially confirmed at an event dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of the formation of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan, held at the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent.

In August 2021, amid the rapid advance of the Taliban movement, over five hundred Afghan military personnel crossed the border into Uzbekistan using American planes and helicopters. Reports indicate that 22 aircraft and 24 helicopters belonging to the U.S. arrived in the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Subsequently, the Uzbek side stated that it would not transfer this equipment to representatives of the Taliban.

During the recent event, representatives from the American side clarified that a significant portion of this equipment had been officially handed over to the Republic of Uzbekistan. However, seven Black Hawk helicopters, after undergoing an examination and being deemed operationally suitable, were returned to the United States.

More than three years after the events of 2021, some American aviation equipment that found itself in Uzbekistan during a tumultuous period of political changes in Afghanistan has returned to the U.S. The future of the remaining equipment transferred to Uzbekistan has not yet been disclosed.