US President Donald Trump has renewed his call for the United States to regain control of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, four years after American forces completed their withdrawal.
During a joint press conference alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Trump emphasized Bagram's critical location, stating, "We want that base back. It’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons."
Trump's comment underscores a broader strategic calculus, as the base lies near the Chinese region of Xinjiang, where nuclear testing and weapons development are believed to occur.
The push to reclaim Bagram comes as the US grapples with China’s expanding nuclear capabilities. According to the Pentagon, the People's Liberation Army increased its nuclear stockpile to 600 warheads by mid-2024, with projections indicating the arsenal could reach 1,000 by 2030 and 1,500 by 2035. These figures edge China closer to matching the deployed arsenals of the US and Russia under the New START treaty.
They will be getting shot at by their own weapons they left behind when they left the last time.
As much as I'd like to see that those weapons have probably deteriorated beyond repair by now.
Maybe air defence systems or some of the more complex equipment has but I doubt there's anything wrong with regular firearms or air defence guns, I highly doubt the Taliban doesn't have the know-how to do maintenance work on those. And if they want to recapture the base you probably won't carpet bomb it, you need to come down at some point. They have plenty of RPGs, or similar weapons that be used to defend it.
Modern weapons systems require resources, infrastructure, and know-how that the Taliban simply don't possess. Unless they've gotten these things from some other country they have no means to maintain, repair, or replace any of the gear & equipment they looted during the US retreat.
It also just doesn't make sense for them to use them other than for propaganda reasons. They're already familiar with Soviet weapon systems so their successors would be easier to train people in while also being a more economical choice due to less maintenance requirements, more availability, cheaper, easier to acquire ammunition, etc.