Elbrus and Luna-M TBMs shown off at Afghanistan parade

The Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan, held a military parade at an airbase in Bagram to mark the anniversary of U.S. troops’ departure from the country.

Footage broadcast by a local TV channel showed fighters from various branches of the military and units in full dress uniforms. They were lined up on the flying field of Bagram base.

At the parade, flags of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” (the name of the state used by the Taliban) and various military equipment were displayed.

The Taliban’s UH-60 Black Hawk, Mi-17, Mi-24 and MD530F helicopters flew over the base.

The Taliban still maintain them in flying condition and actively use them, despite the lack of spare parts for the Black Hawk.

The parade also demonstrated the Uragan MLRS and the Luna-M and Elbrus tactical ballistic missile systems.

Presumably, TBMs were taken from those that have stood in the Panjshir Valley for years, probably in poor condition after years of storage in non-hazardous conditions.

The army tactical ballistic missile system 9К72 Elbrus with a 8К-14 missile (R-17) is designed to defeat manpower, control posts, airfields and other important enemy objects. 9К72 TBM was developed in 1958-1961.

A 8К14 ballistic missile with a single-stage liquid-fuel engine provides a maximum range of 300 kilometers.

The first launch of the 9М21 missile took place on December 27, 1961, and the Luna-M 9K52 system entered mass production and service in 1964. The operational range of the Luna-M missile system is 70 kilometers.

The Taliban launched a large-scale operation to establish control over Afghanistan after the US announced in the spring of 2021 its decision to withdraw its armed forces from the country.

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul without a fight, and President Ashraf Ghani left the Republic. On the night of August 31, 2021, the US military left the Kabul airport. On September 7,2021, the radicals announced the composition of the provisional government, the legitimacy of which has not yet been recognized by any country.