This South African L-100 Hercules was in use by Dutch forces during their operations over Afghanistan. The Safair Hercules was leased to the Netherlands for tactical transport duties, as was the Mi-26T in the background. When needed, both aircraft were also used by other coalition nations.

This UN-76020 was badly damaged after an engine explosion at Kandahar on 14 February 2008. The aircraft was so damaged that it was broken-up at location. All parts that could be recycled were dismantled and transported back to Kazakhstan. The company Air Continental Airlines ceased to exist as it had its airline licence revoked on 18 October 2010.

Only small blue titles on the nose section reveal that this IL-76 is flying for Abakan Air. The company performs, according to their website, national and international commercial charter freight flights and other services, including challenging projects and makes unique logistic decisions. The latter for sure, flying this Candid in war-torn areas.

A giant on the northern platform of Kandahar. It's incredible that these huge and slow moving helicopters could survive in a high threat environment of Afghanistan. There were fighter jets are manoeuvring at low level to the max to prevent being shot by Taliban, these Mi-26s are just a sitting duck and just fly...

This arrived at Kandahar to bring personnel and equipment to dismantle UN-76020 of Air Continental that had an engine explosion on 14 February 2008 at Kandahar. That 020 was so badly damaged that it was broken-up at location. All parts that could be recycled were dismantled and transported back to Kazakhstan in 021. Air Continental Airlines had its airline licence revoked on 18 October 2010.

This former CH-47C (fms serial 93-0927, c/n B.706/E.006) was modified by Boeing to CH-47D late 1993 and returned to the Royal Australian Army in mid 1995. The Chinook was deployed to Afghanistan and heavily used. After its deployment, it was returned to homebase RAAF Townsville/Intl, (also known as Garbut Barracks). On 15 April 2015, this Chinook was withdrawn from use and made its final flight to RAAF Point Cook for preservation in the RAAF museum. Since then is is reported as stored at this location, fully cocooned.

Deployed to Kandahar (Afghanistan), a Rafale C flew always with a Mirage 2000D its mission as the Rafale was - at that moment - not cleared yet for laser-targeting operations. So the Mirage 2000 set the beam for the weapons of the Rafale. This Rafale carries four GBU-12 Paveway IIs (each Mk82 weights 500lb) underneath its wings, quite a heavy load.

This Black Hawk, assigned to B company of the 5th Batalion / 101st Aviation Regiment is normally based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky but here seen deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Kandahar.

This C4 of the Lyneham Transport Wing (LTW) was deployed to Kandahar (Afghanistan) in support of British and coalition troops during Operation Enduring Freedom

Hilarious: This Dutch Chinook had a bird strike over Afghanistan. That caused a clear visible dent in the black radome. The little damaged and robust built Chinook could continue its flight. Later during my deployment to Kandahar, I told this story to an F-16 pilot on QRA duty. With a complete astonished but spontaneous look he said: "Huh, how's that possible?? Birds can only hit the rear of a Chinook in flight!!". On the picture, the concerning H-47 is seen over one of the few lakes in Kandahar province. Chinooks stole my heart during the deployment. So versatile and such a dangerous mission!

Leaving deploment location Kandahar on high speed, and on request the pilot banked left for the picture. This Mirage 2000D with two GBU-12s under the centreline on its way to a Taliban target.

With British Gulf International's "BG" logo on the tail.

In December 2007, the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Destiny, deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The B/5th Batalion "Lancers" supported the 101st with dozens of Black Hawks, like this 90-26303. This Black Hawk was written off on 17 April 2017 when the helicopter went down on the Breton Bay Golf Course (near Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD).

Parked in front of a by war devastated hangar at Kandahar air field, this C-130H of the Royal Australian Air Force. The Hercules was bought by the RAAF in 1978 and withdrawn from use by late November 2012. In 2016 it was selected by the government of Indonesia and started a new career as A-1335 within their Air Force from October in that year.

This 1970 built An-12BP started after 37 years of operations a new life with Transliz Aviation as ER-ADG in October 2007. It was reregistered by the company to S9-KHF in November 2007. Unfortunately, the An-12 was last seen in August 2014 at Chisinau (Moldavia) where it was fully scrapped by early 2015.

This long Beech shows it can fly low-level during a tactical take-off from Kandahar. Retracting gear, continue low level, building up as much speed as possible and then zoom into the air, in this way the crew prevents (a little) being shot by Taliban (and it's fun too...). The Beech was operated by Norse Air Charter that cancelled its operations by late 2011. The Beech was then transferred to Sahel Aviation Service as TZ-PJO.