I watched a AM piece today from N-TV, talking over the German Bundeswehr sending a unit into Afghanistan....to help evacuate the embassy staff, and then take on a group of 10,000 Afghans (former workers at the embassy, aid workers, translators, and their families).
From what is laid out....they will use their A400M transport aircraft....taking folks from Kabul and dropping them off in Tashkent (roughly 1,100 km), Uzbekistan. From there, commercial planes will be hired-up and haul the crowd to Germany. Visas are being arranged for the incoming Afghans.
How close are the Taliban to Kabul? If you follow general reporting and consider it reliable....they are within 50 km (as of Saturday). I would anticipate that parts of Kabul will be in Taliban hands by Sunday evening. The airport, on the NE end of town....probably will be held by various forces until the bitter end. Looking at the timelines, I'd expect this whole event to conclude by Wednesday.
The only question-mark? The A400M aircraft have been discussed in the past to be maintenance 'hogs'. It's the replacement craft for the old Transall. General range? 3,300 with a full-load....so they ought to be able to take off from Tashkent, land in Kabul...load and return without refueling.
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