By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam

KABUL (Reuters – Taliban forces staged a military parade at Kabul’s main gate on Sunday, using American-made armored vehicles captured from the US and Russian helicopters. This display showed that they are transforming from insurgent force into a regular army.

Two decades ago, the Taliban acted as insurgent fighters. They now use the vast stock of weapons and equipment that was left when the previous Western-backed government fell in August to rebuild their force.

Enayatullah Khwarazmi (defense ministry spokesperson) said the parade was connected to the graduation ceremony of 250 soldiers.

The exercise saw dozens of M117-armoured security vehicles made in the USA driving along a Kabul highway with MI-17 helicopters hovering overhead. Many soldiers carried American-made M4 assault weapons.

In an attempt to build a national Afghan force capable of defeating the Taliban, most of the equipment and weapons that the Taliban use are provided by Washington.

These forces were dispersed with Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan president fleeing Afghanistan. The Taliban took control of major military assets.

Taliban officials stated that former Afghan National Army pilots, mechanics, or other specialist would be included in the new force. The unit has started to wear conventional military uniforms as an alternative to traditional Afghan clothing.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Rehabilitation (Sigar) reported that more than $28 Billion worth of U.S. defense items and services were transferred from 2002 to 2017 to Afghanistan. This included weapons, ammunition and night-vision devices as well surveillance and surveillance systems.

Some aircraft were stolen from the Afghan army and flown in to Central Asian Countries. But the Taliban have taken over other aircraft. Uncertain how many of these aircraft are still operational.

After a chaotic evacuation, the U.S. troops left Kabul’s Hamid Karazai International Airport and destroyed over 70 aircraft.