High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Afghan Air Force (AAF), formerly the Afghan National Army Air Corps and Afghan National Army Air Force (ANA Air Force), is one of seven "corps" of the military of Afghanistan, responsible for air defense and air warfare. It was officially established in 1924 and for most of its history has functioned as a small but separate air service. The major exception was the 1980s when the Soviets built up the "Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Air Force", first in an attempt to defeat the mujahideen-led insurgency and, by the end of the decade, in hopes that a strong Afghan air arm would preserve the pro-Soviet government of Dr. Najibullah.