Your Privacy Choices
Today’s Photo is an Afghan Air Force (AAF) Aerial Door Gunner over Kabul, Afghanistan.
He’s riding in a Mi-17 helicopter over Logar, just outside Kabul.
Of all the aerial door gunners we’ve covered over the years, this is probably the lowest-tech by far. Just compare it to the German Bundeswehr and their FN M3M (GAU-21).
Note that the machine gun only has open sights, but at least they put a Picatinny rail on it.
These open sights aren’t really suitable for door gunning either, it looks like you have to “aim by shooting”. It reminds me of the movie Full Metal Jacket:
Looks like they’re using an FN MAG / M240 machine gun in 7,62×51 mm, possibly the Model 60-30 – Aircraft Mounting Model.
Below: Note the emblem of the Afghan Air Force on the gunner’s left arm.
All pictures by the Norwegian Defense and Torbjørn Kjosvold.