U.S. Fighter Jets Perform Low-Level Flying Over Kabul
Several people living in Kabul posted on social media that they hear American fighter jets fly low over Kabul city. These low-level flights woke up residents in the area in the early morning hours.
#AFG 3AM – fighters jets flying really low over Kabul city.
— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) August 17, 2021
Fighter jet fly outside my window – very low. For the second time. #kabul #Afghanistan
— Simi Jan (@simijan1) August 17, 2021
What sounded like a fighterjet just flew VERY low over #kabulairport. Deafeningly loud. Have not seen that yet at all throughout this crisis. Can hear jet/s circling in sky now. #afghanistan
— Jane Ferguson (@JaneFerguson5) August 17, 2021
According to the United States CENTCOM, these are just routine flights to remind friendly forces and enemies that US airpower is always present.
@CENTCOM on fighter jets over Kabul:
We continue to have a robust presence of air cover over our troops at HKIA to ensure the protection of our forces and their mission. We expect that coverage to continue until the mission is complete and all U.S. forces have departed.— Howard Altman (@haltman) August 18, 2021
According to Army Times, US Air force and Navy aviation squadrons of F/A-18 and F-16, AV-8 strike fighters, AC-130 gunships, B-52 bombers, and MQ-9 intelligence and attack drones are providing air cover for the evacuations happening in Kabul after the Taliban captured Afghanistan. These fighter jets are mostly operating from bases in the Persian Gulf and an aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in the Arabian Sea.
These low fly-overs are meant to send a message for the enemies to keep it low and warn them what happens if the US decides to use their air power against the targets on the ground. However, these fighter jets flybys help friendly ground troops too. As the following video suggests, low-level flyings remind ground troops that they always have backup when they need it and increase their confidence too.
