The aftermath of the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 continues to be a point of political contention, with recent discussions resurfacing regarding the billions of dollars in military equipment left behind. According to a 2022 Department of Defense (DoD) report, approximately 78 aircraft, 40,000 military vehicles, and over 300,000 weapons were among the assets abandoned in the rapid exit from the region. The total estimated value of the equipment left in Afghanistan is approximately $7 billion.
Former President Donald Trump, who played a key role in negotiating the original withdrawal agreement with the Taliban in 2020, has placed blame on the Biden administration, accusing it of allowing U.S. military hardware to fall into Taliban hands. Trump has called for the Taliban to return the equipment, though no mechanism exists to enforce such a demand.
While critics of the Biden administration argue that more could have been done to retrieve or destroy the assets before the withdrawal, officials defend the exit strategy as a necessary but challenging operation given the circumstances. The Pentagon has stated that much of the equipment left behind was non-operational or had been previously supplied to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), who ultimately surrendered to the Taliban as U.S. forces exited.
Despite these claims, reports and images from Afghanistan suggest that some of the equipment remains in use by Taliban forces, sparking concerns over security implications in the region.
Since taking power, the Taliban have displayed American-made weapons and vehicles in propaganda videos and military parades, further fueling the debate over what should have been done differently. Military analysts point out that abandoning military hardware is a common reality in war zones, as seen in previous U.S. conflicts, but the scale of this particular withdrawal remains unprecedented.
The DoD maintains that most of the aircraft were rendered inoperable before the U.S. departure. However, ground vehicles, small arms, and advanced weaponry such as night vision goggles, drones, and surveillance systems were likely left intact and are now in Taliban possession.
While Trump continues to press for the return of U.S. military hardware, experts question the feasibility of such a demand. The Taliban, now the ruling power in Afghanistan, have shown no intention of relinquishing control over these assets.
The situation has sparked a renewed conversation on how the U.S. military conducts withdrawals from conflict zones. Some lawmakers have proposed stricter policies to ensure that valuable military assets do not end up in enemy hands during future evacuations. Others argue that the real failure was the lack of a stable Afghan government capable of maintaining control after U.S. troops departed.
As the geopolitical consequences of the withdrawal continue to unfold, policymakers remain divided over who should bear responsibility and how future military engagements should be managed to prevent similar situations. Meanwhile, the Taliban maintain a significant arsenal of U.S.-supplied weaponry, reinforcing their control over Afghanistan and complicating international diplomatic efforts in the region.
