US army 'loses' military equipment worth $420 million in Afghanistan

Missing hardware includes sensitive weapons systems, encryption devices and vehicles, according to internal Pentagon investigation that highlights challenges of $7 billion Afghan withdrawal

The US army has "lost" $420 million (£260m) worth of military equipment, including weapons systems, vehicles, encryption devices and communications gear, in Afghanistan, according to an embarrassing internal investigation.

The report by the Pentagon's inspector general criticised Army officials for being slow to report and investigate the losses of equipment, much of it highly sensitive, from its main operating bases at Bagram and Kandahar.

The investigation did not conclude how the "inventory losses" of 156,000 pieces of hardware for the 2013 financial year occurred, but noted a series of failings in oversight, accounting and record-keeping.

It was not clear if the any of equipment may have fallen into enemy hands, but the report underscored the costs and challenges facing the US as it winds down its military operations in Afghanistan after 13 years. The withdrawal could cost a further $7 billion, according to Pentagon estimates.

The report noted that the Army field support brigade responsible for managing the shipping out of military equipment from Afghanistan failed to report "in a timely manner" the missing material after sifting through major lost-property reports for 2013.

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