Afghan clearout

[Jimbuna]

There should be some bargains to be had after all this equipment is shipped back home to the respective countries, to cover the costs of the withdrawal if nothing else.

Estimated costs: UK £300 million US £3bn-£4bn

As the UK and the US prepare to withdraw the last remaining troops from Afghanistan, hundreds of bases, thousands of vehicles and tonnes of equipment are being packed up and shipped home, sold off or scrapped. Just how is this done? Dominic Bailey finds out.

Withdrawing international forces from Afghanistan by the end of December 2014 is not just a case of putting troops on aircraft and flying them home.

The mammoth logistical operation to withdraw by land, sea and air is well under way and ongoing, as combat missions continue until the 31 December deadline.

Nato estimates that about 218,000 vehicles and containers of military equipment need to be shipped out of Afghanistan between March 2012 and December 2014. To date, approximately 80,000 vehicles and containers have been moved out of theatre.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-25848662