Navigation Question?

What is the US Military route into Afghanistan?

Specifically, can you get to Afghanistan with anything other than C-17's and other long range aircraft without refueling?

In other words, if you wanted to launch an airstrike on Afghanistan what countries do we have to overfly to do it?

Can't fly over Iran (obviously). What about Pakistan?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Been watching all week, maybe longer now...



In through southern Pakistan and vice versa. Italy and Turkish military have been using the Turkmenistan route.


Edit: it's being displayed on both Flightradar24 and ADS-B Exchange. You have to toggle between the 2, but they're there. Keep seeing blips of Eurofighters.... but when the time comes. You wont see it.


Super edit:
"In other words, if you wanted to launch an airstrike on Afghanistan what countries do we have to overfly to do it?"

I've been watching india and isreal... we will not see it on any maps. But watch for the Refuelers. Transponders will be shut off.

My guess is india, Turkey through Turkmenistan. Great question FCD

a reply to: Bigburgh

Okay, but can you fly either of those routes with bombs, or are they only being allowed for evacuation flights.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Bigburgh

Okay, but can you fly either of those routes with bombs, or are they only being allowed for evacuation flights.

Wish I could give an answer. Like i said I keep catching blips. Just yesterday there was a B-52 that showed up out of nowhere over Oman and hugged the the Pakistani Iranian border, then went went well into Iran before reappearing in a split second back over oman.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

We've been flying combat missions out of Qatar basically since the start of operations. Bombers out of CONUS meet tankers near Gibraltar, then drop down over the Gulf to meet another batch of tankers near Qatar or Dubai, then up into Afghanistan. The overwatch aircraft come from Qatar, or currently the Reagan, and head up into Afghanistan with tankers.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thank you Zaphod

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The red arrows is what has been pretty routine. Especially like Zaphod said about Doha.

Thanks!

Okay, so Pakistan is the puzzle piece I was missing. I just didn't realize we could overfly Pakistan on attack missions. The rest of it I pretty much understood.

Man, that's a long day!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

CONUS birds launch and recover from their home station. Average mission time is about 36 hours from Barksdale, with between 6 and 8 refuelings along the way. Whiteman is closer to 40, and Minot is more like 44-48. If planners are feeling generous, they'll land at Diego Garcia, and hot swap crews without even shutting down the aircraft. The replacement crew will fly it home. That's more common with the B-2s.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

It's... it looks like quite a dance.

So, on checking out ADS-B, I don't see any aircraft in or around (in the sky) Bagram airbase. Is this due to radar blackout for security, or something else?

a reply to: shaolin_dragon

They're usually being tracked by MLAT in the region. That requires 3-5 ground stations minimum to show its positing. Not enough ground stations, no aircraft position.

Right now, RCH638, 377, 877, and 671 are out of Ramstein heading in on their regular shuttle run. Currently over Europe. RCH861 in inbound to Ramstein from the region.

RACER43, ARSON55, RCH581, IAM4644, IAM4647, IAM4646, BLCWF12, RRR2871, a blocked C-17, and two unknown C-130s are up over the Dubai area. They are, in order, Canadian C-17, US C-130J, US C-17, 3x Italian C-130, US E-11A, RAF Voyager, US C-17 and C-130s.

CTM0005, a French A330MRTT is also outbound from Kabul. RCH623 just popped up as well, passing Dubai.

I counted (6) RAF A400M's on the ramp yesterday at KBL, only (1) USAF C-17 at the time. Probably around 1900L.