Libyan Air Force
Libyan Air Force | |
---|---|
القوات الجوية الليبية | |
Active | 1962 |
Country | Libya |
Allegiance | Government of National Unity House of Representatives Formerly Government of National Accord |
Branch | Libyan Armed Forces |
Type | Air force |
Role | Aerial warfare |
Size | 4,500 personnel |
Headquarters | Tripoli (GNU-backed) Tobruk (HoR-backed) |
Equipment | 144 aircraft (2020)[1] |
Engagements | Egyptian–Libyan War Uganda–Tanzania War Chadian–Libyan War Il-76 |
The Libyan Air Force (
The air force was established as the Royal Libyan Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Malakiya al Libiyya) in September 1962 by a decision of the minister of defense Abd al-Nabi Yunis. Lt. Col. al-Hadi Salem al-Husomi was assigned to lead the new force. It was originally equipped with a small number of transports and trainers:
History
Early years (1962–1969)
In May 1967, the Kingdom of Libya reached an agreement with the United States to supply 10
Early Gaddafi era (1969–1989)
During the months following the 1969 coup d'état, Libya distanced itself from the
With all of these acquisitions, within a few years, the number of aircraft on strength in the LAAF increased drastically. However, there was no way of training enough pilots and ground crews to operate all of these.
Dassault Mirage 5s bought shortly after Gaddafi took power were secretly used by Egypt during the Yom Kippur War. These were later returned to Libya. These aircraft were retired in 2008, becoming used for Pakistan Air Force spares.[20]
The Libyan Arab Republic Air Force operated a large number of
In the 1970s and '80s Libyan MiGs and Tupolevs were common visitors to international airspace, close to Italy and NATO bases. On 19 July 1980, a crashed Libyan Arab Air Force MiG-23 was discovered on the Sila Mountains near Castelsilano, southern Italy. The event is speculated to be connected to the loss of Itavia Flight 870 a few weeks earlier.[23]
The LAAF lost a total of four aircraft to
The air force was extensively used in
In
The Chadians seized the Ouadi Doum base in 1987 and destroyed or captured two SF.260s, three
On 8 October 1987, an LAAF
Post–Cold War to Libyan civil war
With the
In January 2008 Libya bought 4 ATR 42MP maritime patrol aircraft from Italy’s Alenia.[citation needed]
Also, in the mid-1990s, Libya paid for spares for
Libyan civil war/NATO intervention
Before the war began, Libyan People's Air Force had between 18,000 and 22,000 personnel and 374 aircraft and helicopters—however, most of these aircraft were not flyable, and the air force in general was in a very poor state when the war began.
On 21 February 2011, two senior LPAF pilots, Colonel Ali al-Rabiti and Colonel Abdullah Salheen, defected to the opposition – they flew their Mirage F-1ED fighter jets, serial numbers "502" and "508" to Malta and requested political asylum after defying orders to bomb protesters.[35][38][39][40] On 17 February, an AN-26 transport plane was reportedly captured by prostesters in Kufra, while on 20 February, a pro-Gaddafi helicopter (either Mi-8 or Mi-24) was reportedly shot down at Bayda.[40]
On 23 February 2011, pilot Abdessalam Attiyah al-Abdali and co-pilot Ali Omar al-Kadhafi—crew of a
At Brega a pro-Gaddafi Mirage F-1ED fighter jet was shot down by the rebel forces on 2 March 2011, thus leaving just one Mirage F-1BD trainer aircraft in possession of Gaddafi's loyalist forces, while that same day one pro-Gaddafi SU-22M-3K was damaged by rebel anti-aircraft fire at Brega (the rebel sources claimed that they shot it down).[40][46] Several more pro-Gaddafi helicopters and fighter jets were reportedly shot down by rebel forces during the fight for Brega between 2 March and 3 March, however this claims remain uncomfirmed.[40] Several days later, on 4 March, one abandoned pro-Gaddafi Mi-8MT air ambulance helicopter serial number "2119" was captured by rebel forces at Ra's Lanuf airfield.[40] Also, on 5 March 2011, rebels shot down near Ra's Lanuf a pro-Gaddafi Su-24MK bomber, serial number "38" of the 1124th Libyan air force squadron with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun (both pilots were killed), and then the next day, rebels also shot down a pro-Gaddafi helicopter (either a Mi-8 or Mi-24) near Ra's Lanuf with a ZPU-4 anti-aircraft gun.[40][47][48] Three more pro-Gaddafi fighter jets (two of them Su-22 fighter bombers—their pilots were captured, reportedly being Syrian and Sudanese mercenaries) and two more pro-Gaddafi helicopters (either Mi-8 or Mi-24) were reportedly shot down by rebel forces during the fight for Ra's Lanuf between 5 March and 7 March, however these claims remain uncomfirmed.[40] Exactly how many and what types of aircraft have been shot down were not confirmed by Jamahiriya government or independent sources. Using air power, the Libyan military checked the opposition advance westwards, towards Bin Jawad in early March.[49] By 11 March, the pro-Gaddafi air force was running out of quality jet fuel, and attempts were made to bribe Maltese Air Force officials in order to purchase more fuel.[50] On 13 March, Ali Atiyya, a colonel of the Libyan People's Air Force at the Mitiga military airport, near Tripoli, announced that he had defected and joined the revolution, and this is the earliest case of Libyan air force personnel defecting to the opposition.[51] Very quickly defections have started to have effect on pro-Gaddafi air force—according to the opposition sources, hundreds of pilots, technicians and ground personnel have defected to the opposition during the first half of March.[35] On the same day, on 13 March 2011, according to the news published on 20 March by the opposition media wing Al Manara Media, pilot Muhammad Mokhtar Osman crashed his fighter jet, an MiG-23BN, on Bab al-Azizia compound in Tripoli in an apparent kamikaze-style suicide attack on pro-Gaddafi military high command, in which Khamis Gaddafi was heavily wounded and died from his wounds a week later on 20 March; however, this news wasn't confirmed by any independent sources and was right away denied by pro-Gaddafi media wing, and was finally confirmed to be misinformation when on 9 June a captured pro-Gaddafi loyalist soldier in Misrata told the rebel forces that he personally saw that Khamis Gaddafi was alive and well, leading his soldiers in Zliten.[52][53][40]
On 15 March 2011, Free Libyan air force aircraft conducted its first air attacks against Gaddafi loyalists, flying six combat sorties. According to the opposition sources, on that day rebel
Rebels claimed to have shot down what appeared to be a MiG-21 outside of Bohadi. On 17 March, a pro-Gaddafi Su-22UM3K fighter bomber was shot down over
On 19 March 2011, a rebel MiG-23BN was shot down over Benghazi by rebel air defence forces in a case of mistaken identity.[59] The pilot, colonel Mohammed Mbarak al-Okali ejected but at a very low altitude, and was killed as a result.[60][61][62] BBC News reported on 20 March that the rebel aircraft was shot down by its own air defenses during an attempt to bomb advancing pro-Gaddafi tank columns near Benghazi.[63]
According to the opposition sources, rebel MiG-21 and MiG-23 fighter jets, Mi-24 combat attack helicopters, 14 rebel fighter pilots, 50 technicians and hundreds of ground personnel, all stationed at the Benina air force base, were crucial in their defence of Benghazi from pro-Gaddafi offensive, launching multiple airstrikes during the first half of March on advancing Gaddafi forces in eastern Libya, with the hardest day of combat for the Free Libya air force being 19 March, when pro-Gaddafi forces tried to capture Benghazi.[35] But rebel air force suffered heavy losses in process—according to opposition sources, between 1 March and 19 March, rebel air force launched a total of 38 combat sorties (nine of which were conducted by Mi-24 combat attack helicopters) against advancing pro-Gaddafi forces in eastern Libya, but lost in the process two fighter jets and one helicopter, suffering eight pilots and gunmen killed.[35]
On 17 March 2011., the UN Security council adopted the United Nations Security Council resolution 1973 which legitimised the military operation against the pro-Gaddafi regime - with 10 votes in favour, 0 against and 5 abstentions, a no-fly zone was established over the whole of Libya with the United Nations Security Council resolution 1973. Despite that, both pro-Gaddafi and pro-rebel air forces continued their sorties for the next two days, launching multiple airstrikes up until the night of 19 March, when a no-fly zone was finally implemented by NATO forces, grounding both rebel and pro-Gaddafi fighter jets from then on.[35][64] In the late afternoon of 19 March, first coalition airstrikes were launched against the Gaddafi regime, with French fighter jets bombing pro-Gaddafi tank columns at the entrance to Benghazi, stopping their offensive against rebel forces in Benghazi.[65] US and British warships then launched more than 120 Tomahawk cruise missiles against Jamahiriya air defences and four US B-2 stealth bombers attacked and destroyed several Jamahiriya airfields during the night of 19 March, with more airstrikes and cruise missile strikes being launched against the pro-Gaddafi regime during the next several days, destroying the combat capabilities of pro-Gaddafi Libyan air force and anti-air defences.[66]
On 22 March, a US air force F15E fighter jet crashed near Benghazi due to mechanical problems; both pilots ejected safely and were then rescued by US search and rescue teams, and during the rescue of the US pilots, US search and rescue teams shot and wounded six libyan civilians on the ground.[67][68] On 23 March 2011, British Air Vice-Marshal Greg Bagwell was quoted by the BBC saying that the Libyan People's Air Force "no longer exists as a fighting force" and that Libyan air defenses had been damaged to the extent that NATO forces could now operate over Libyan airspace "with impunity."[69] On 24 March, several media sources reported that a French Dassault Rafale destroyed a G-2 Galeb near Misrata. Initial reports of the French action said the LPAF plane, a G-2/Galeb with a single engine, was in the air when it was hit. French military spokesman Col. Thierry Burkhard later said the plane had just landed when the attack took place.
On 26 March 2011, the French Air Force reported that five Soko G-2 Galeb aircraft were destroyed on the ground at Misrata airport together with two Mi-35 helicopters,[70] but satellite images later showed that the five fixed wing aircraft destroyed were actually MiG-23s.[71]
A Belgian Air Force F-16 hit a Libyan People's Air Force Su-22UM3K plane on the ground during an operation on 27 March.[72] On 9 April, a Free Libyan air force Mi-25D combat attack helicopter (serial number "854"—the same one that was captured by the rebel forces at Benina air force base on 23 February 2011) bombed positions of Gaddafi's soldiers at Ajadabiya, but it was then shot down by Gaddafi loyalist forces; its pilot captain Hussein al-Warfali was killed. Also on the same day on 9 April, a Free Libyan air force MiG-23BN fighter jet was intercepted by NATO fighter jets over Benghazi, and escorted back to its base in accordance with the UN-authorized and established no-fly zone over Libya.[40][73][74][75]
On 7 May, after weeks of complete inactivity, the Libyan People's Air Force conducted a successful air raid over the rebel-held fuel depots at Misrata, bombing them and setting them on fire. The rebels reported that the raid was conducted with crop dusting aircraft, but probably
Following the defeat of forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and the rebel victory in October 2011, the no fly zone was lifted and two grounded Jamahiriya air force Mirage F-1ED that had been based in Malta after their pilots refused orders to bomb the opposition during the civil war, were then given permission to return to Libya.[79] The jets were finally returned to Libya on 21 February 2012, exactly a year to the day after they defected.[80]
Second Civil War
On 20 June 2012 the Air Force Chief of Staff, Saqr Geroushi,[81] announced plans for the rebuilding of the Libyan air force. The plans included proposals for the purchase of two squadrons of French Rafale fighter aircraft, a number of British Eurofighter Typhoons; and additional new French F1-Mirage jets, American C-130H Hercules cargo planes and CH-47 Chinook helicopters[82]—as the post–2011 air force inherited some intact Mirages, C-130Hs and CH-47s following the civil war.[83]
As the situation deteriorated with the country sliding into the
One of the pro-GNA fighter jets, a MiG-23UB aircraft, was shot down on 22 March 2015 at Al-Zintan by pro-LNA fighters with an Igla MANPADs while bombing the pro-LNA positions at Al-Zintan airport.[90] A second pro-GNA fighter jet, this time MiG-23ML aircraft, crashed on 22 December 2016 at Tarhouna due to technical problems—both of its pilots, Mohammed Gadosha and Ezzidin Madani, were killed.[91]
At the same time, Ukrainians started to work on the restoration of two MiG-25 and one MiG-25UB aircraft, which were mainly used for reconnaissance of enemy positions from the air. These aircraft were one of several dozen Libyan MiG-25 fighter jets stored for decades after being decommissioned at Al-Juffrah air force base (and so were spared from destruction in NATO-led intervention in 2011 because they weren't considered a threat to NATO-led forces), and these MiG-25 aircraft were relocated by pro-GNA forces from the Al-Juffrah air force base to the Misrata air force base at the beginning of 2015 in order to be overhauled, repaired and returned to active combat service.[92][93][90] One of those newly restored aircraft, a two-seat MiG-25PU trainer version, crashed during its first post-restoration flight on 6 May 2015—(LNA claims that it shot it down, but that remains unconfirmed), during a bombing run on positions of pro-LNA forces at the civilian airport at Al-Zintan. Its pilot, colonel Hassan Mahmoud Misrati, successfully ejected and was captured by the pro-LNA forces.[93][90][94] Despite poor performances in the war, pro-GNA forces with the help of Ukrainian specialists continued to overhaul and repair more MiG-25 fighter jets through 2017 and 2018 in order to bring them back to active combat service.[92]
Besides MiG-25 aircraft, the Ukrainians also refurbished both Mirage F-1ED fighter jets of the pro-GNA air forces (serial numbers 502 and 508—the same two that defected to Malta on 21 February 2011), and with their help the pro-GNA forces brought them back into operational status by early 2015, using them extensively to bomb both ISIL militants and pro-LNA forces throughout 2016—but on 3 June 2016, one of the two pro-GNA Mirage F1ED fighter jets crashed west of the city of Sirte due to technical problems, its pilot ejected safely (according to other sources, ISIL militants shot it down, its pilot, a Portuguese mercenary, was killed).[94][88][86][95][96] The last remaining pro-GNA Mirage F1ED fighter jet was not airworthy as of 2017 and was put in storage by the pro-GNA forces, as it lacked a functional engine due to lack of spare parts.[88][94][96][97]
Despite the pro-GNA L-39ZO Albatros having mediocre combat characteristics, they avoided combat losses—one pro-GNA L-39ZO crashed due to technical problems near the University of Sirte on 10 August 2016 (ISIL claims that they shot it down); both of its pilots, commander of Misrata air force base brigadier general Mukhtar Fakroun and co-pilot colonel Omar Dogha, died in the crash.
During all of 2016, the pro-GNA Libyan Air Force carried out numerous air strikes on positions of the group
Since 2016, both the Tobruk-based House of Representatives backed by Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army as well as the internationally recognised Government of National Accord in Tripoli have had many military aircraft in their possession. The Air Force has nominally been under the GNA's control.[106] After Haftar gained power in eastern Libya, its part of the pro-LNA Libyan air force, made of MiG-21, MiG-23BN and MiG-23ML fighter jets, was actively restored and modernized by Egypt and UAE military, and pro-LNA air force conducted numerous air strikes on Islamist positions throughout eastern Libya, especially in Derna and Benghazi, during all of 2016 and 2017, but suffered heavy losses in aircraft and personnel in progress – one pro-LNA MiG-23ML fighter jets, serial number "6472", crashed due to technical problems on 4 January 2016 near Benghazi, at Benina air force base after returning from a bombing raid against Islamists; its pilot ejected safely (the Islamists claim that they shot it down).[100][107][108] At the same time, using the captured equipment in al-Watiya air force base, pro-LNA forces started to bring back to active service several Su-22 bombers and Mirage F-1ED fighter jets in 2014 and 2015.[89]
A second pro-LNA MiG-23ML fighter jet, serial number "6132", was shot down on 8 February 2016 by the Islamists during its bombing raid on Islamist positions in the town of Derna (LNA claims it crashed due to technical problems), its pilot colonel Younes al-Dinali ejected safely.[100][109][108] A third pro-LNA fighter jet, this time an MiG-23UB serial number "7834", was shot down by the Islamists during its bombing raid on Islamist positions in Garyunes area, Benghazi (LNA claims that it crashed due to technical problems), on 12 February 2016, its pilot ejected safely.[100][110][111] In response to such heavy losses, during March and April 2016, two MiG23BN fighter jets with in-flight refueling probes, serial numbers "8985" and "4136", which were in storage ever since the early 1990s at Al Abraq air force base, were quickly brought back to service by pro-LNA air force engineers and technicians.[100] But despite that, heavy losses of pro-LNA air force continued.
A fourth pro-LNA fighter jet, this time the recently restored MiG-23BN serial number "8985", crashed due to technical problems west of Benghazi on 6 July 2016, its pilot colonel Idris Al-Obeidi died in the crash.[100][112] A fifth pro-LNA fighter jet, this time MiG-23ML serial number 26453, was shot down on 15 January 2017 by the Islamists during its bombing raid on Islamist positions in Ganfouda/Bosnib area, Benghazi, its pilot colonel Younes Aldinali ejected safely.[113][114][115] In April 2017, as a response to pro-LNA air force bombing attack on pro-GNA Tamanhint air force base near Sabha in southern Libya on 5 April 2017, pro-GNA L-39ZO Albatros aircraft successfully bombed pro-LNA Brak al-Shati air force base, 80 kilometers north of Sabha, reportedly destroying one pro-LNA MiG-23 fighter jet on the ground.[116][117] Also, on 29 July 2017, a sixth pro-LNA fighter jet, now MiG-23UB serial number 8008, was shot down by the Islamists during its bombing raid on Islamist positions in the town of Derna. Its pilot Adel Al-Jihani ejected safely but was heavily wounded and then captured by the Islamists; he died of his wounds while in captivity.[118]
Several pro-LNA MiG-21 fighter jets were also lost between 2014 and 2017 – the first pro-LNA MiG-21bis crashed in the city of Tobruk on 2 September 2014 due to pilot error during a pull-up maneuver while performing in a memorial flypast for another pilot, Ibrahim Al-Manifi, who was also killed in a plane crash few days earlier (Islamists claim that they shot it down), killing its pilot Rafa al-Alani and at least one civilian on the ground.[119] Another pro-LNA fighter jet, now MiG-21UM, crashed due to technical problems during takeoff for a training flight on 18 May 2016 at the Tobruk airport, pilot colonel Mohamed Rabie al-Shawa died in the crash while co-pilot captain Abdul Quader Mohamed survived the crash but was injured.[99][120] On 29 March 2017, another pro-LNA MiG-21bis crashed at the city of Tobruk after returning from a bombing mission against Islamist positions in the town on Derna—its pilot, LNA air brigadier Saleh Joudah, the commander of the Gamal Abdel Nasser Airbase in Tobruk, was killed in the crash, along with four civilians on the ground.[121][116][122] A third pro-LNA MiG-21bis was shot down over Al-Sabri district in Benghazi by Islamists on 17 April during a bombing raid against Islamist positions.[116][123] Another pro-LNA MiG-21 fighter jet was shot down by Islamists MANPADS over the town of Derna on 31 July 2017 during its bombing raid on Islamist positions in the town of Derna, both of its pilots ejected safely and were then captured by the Islamists.[124] Also, on 18 May, pro-GNA militias launched a successful surprise offensive on the pro-LNA Brak al-Shati air force base in the area of Fezzan in southern Libya, killing over 140 pro-LNA soldiers and civilians (of which 40 were executed after being captured), heavily damaging the Brak al-Shati air force base, and also destroyed one inoperable pro-LNA L-39ZO Albatros fighter jet on the ground.[117]
Pro-LNA Libyan air force lost at least six to eight helicopters – Mi-8, Mi-14, Mi-24/Mi-35 and Mi-17 – between 2014 and 2017, most of them crashed due to technical malfunctions, but one pro-LNA Mi-35 combat attack helicopter was shot down at Ras Lanouf and another pro-LNA Mi-35 combat attack helicopter was abandoned by the pro-LNA forces at
After suffering heavy losses in aircraft and air force personnel during its campaign against Islamist forces in eastern Libya throughout 2016 and 2017, Haftar's pro-LNA Libyan air force received several MiG-23MLD fighter jets from Russia in February 2017, as well as eight former
In April 2019, Haftar's army launched an
Further airstrikes were made by both pro-GNA and pro-LNA air force aircraft throughout western Libya between 8 April and 13 April, with pro-GNA fighter jets targeting pro-LNA advancing troops near Sirte, Tripoli International Airport, Gharyan and at the outskirts of Tripoli, while pro-LNA fighter jets targeted pro-GNA positions at Misrata, Tripoli International airport and throughout the city of Tripoli. On 10 April, during heavy fighting south of Tripoli, pro-LNA military 166th brigade claimed to have shot down with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun a pro-GNA L-39ZO Albatros fighter jet, which flew from the Misrata air force base.[130] On 14 April 2019, pro-GNA forces shot down a pro-LNA MiG-21MF in the area of Ain Zara, Tripoli, with a Chinese-made FN-6 MANPADS (pro-LNA forces claim that the aircraft crashed due to technical problems), its pilot Jamal Ben Amer ejected safely and survived, being retrieved by pro-LNA Mi-35 helicopter.[131][132][130] On 17 April, pro-LNA forces captured in the Tripoli outskirts from pro-GNA forced several Chinese-made FN-6 MANPADs, confirming the claims that pro-GNA forces have been armed with such advanced anti-aircraft weapons, which were also not previously in use by the Libyan armed forces before the NATO-led intervention in 2011—according to the pro-LNA and Egyptian sources, the Chinese-made FN-6 MANPADs were supplied to pro-GNA forces by Qatar via Sudan.[130]
It was unknown whether that Mirage F-1AD that crashed at al-Watiya air force base on 24 April was shot down by pro-LNA forces, or whether it crashed due to technical problems while repelling the pro-GNA air force attack, but a consensus later emerged that (in the absence of an official refutation of the LNA's claim) the Mirage lost must have been a GNA plane.[133]
On 7 May 2019, pro-Haftar LNA forces shot down with anti-aircraft guns a pro-GNA air force Mirage F1ED at Wadi al-Hira area near Gharyan, south of the Libyan capital of Tripoli; the plane was launched from the pro-GNA Misrata air force base and its pilot, 29-year-old Jimmy Sponaugle, an American mercenary, ejected successfully and survived, and was then captured by pro-LNA forces.[134][135]
On 12 May, it was confirmed by russian journalists that pro-LNA air forces have during their western Libya offensive extensively used an Il-18D transport aircraft, serial ER-ICS, which is being flown by an unknown foreign company from Kazakhstan (it previously belonged to Moldovan Sky Prim'Air company, and was used by pro-LNA air forces as transport since 2015), for an aerial supply bridge, to regularly transport ammunition from Benina air force base to Gharyan.[136] On 13 June 2019, pro-LNA forces claimed that they shot down a pro-GNA L-39ZO Albatros fighter jet in Dafniya, south of Misrata, as it was bombing pro-LNA positions around the town, however because Dafniya is over 100 kilometers away from the nearest pro-LNA frontline positions, this is highly questionable claim (pro-GNA forces confirmed that they lost the plane, but deny the pro-LNA claim of shooting it down, claiming instead that their L-39ZO fighter jet crashed due to technical malfunction after taking off); the pilot failed to eject, and was killed as a result.[137]
During the first half of June, heavy bombings by both pro-GNA forces and pro-LNA forces continued throughout western Libya, with pro-GNA forces extensively bombing pro-LNA positions, destroying pro-LNA tanks, ammunition depots and troop concentrations - on 19 June 2019, pro-GNA forces claimed that their fighter jets bombed pro-LNA Al Watiya air force base, destroying on the runway a pro-LNA Su-22 fighter bomber just as it was taking off, however this claims remain unconfirmed by independent sources.[138][139]
Both pro-GNA and pro-LNA air forces suffer serious lack of qualified air force personnel, especially the pro-GNA Libyan air force – most of their pilots are over 50 years old, well above air-force retirement age, and very few have high-quality flight skills.[116] Because of that, and due to many of its Libyan-born pilots and air force personnel being killed in the war, both sides, especially pro-GNA air forces, are relying more and more on foreign mercenaries to both fly and repair their fighter jets, with mixed results.[140][96][141][94][142][86] Many of these foreign mercenaries fighting for pro-GNA forces are from countries such as Portugal, Ecuador, US, Turkey and Ukraine, while fighter jets from pro-LNA forces are reportedly being flown by mercenaries from UAE, Egypt and Russia.[140]
Military airports
Military air force bases include:[143]
- Al-Jufra Air Base (near Hun)
- Zuwara)
- Benina (near Benghazi)
- Gamal Abdel Nasser Airbase (near Tobruk): formerly RAF Station El-Adem, 1942–1970.
- Ghadames Airport
- Ghat Airport
- Al Abraq International Airport (near Bayda)
- Maaten al-Sarra Air Base
- Misrata Airport
- Mitiga (near Tripoli): formerly USAF Wheelus Air Base, 1948–1970.
- Sabha Air Base
Aircraft
current inventory
Inventory of the Libyan Air Force, which is controlled by the (formerly internationally recognised) House of Representatives
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat Aircraft | ||||||
Mikoyan MiG-21
|
Soviet Union | fighter | 12[144] | |||
Mikoyan MiG-23
|
Soviet Union | fighter-bomber | 4[144] | 1 aircraft provide conversion training | ||
Mirage F1 | France | fighter | 3[144] | 2 aircraft provide conversion training | ||
Sukhoi Su-22
|
Soviet Union | fighter-bomber | 1[144] | |||
Sukhoi Su-24 | Soviet Union | attack | 2[144] | |||
Transport | ||||||
Antonov An-72 | Ukraine | tactical airlifter | 1[144] | STOL capable aircraft | ||
C-130 Hercules | United States | tactical airlifter | C-130H | 2[144] | ||
Helicopters
| ||||||
Mil Mi-2 | Poland | utility | 7[144] | one used for rotorcraft trainer | ||
Mil Mi-17 | Russia | utility / transport | Mi-8/171 | 7[144] | ||
Mil Mi-14 | Russia | ASW / SAR | 3[144] | |||
Mil Mi-24 | Russia | attack | Mi-24D
|
7[144] | ||
CH-47 Chinook | United States | cargo / transport | CH-47C | 2[144] | licensed built by Elicotteri Meridionali[145]
| |
AgustaWestland AW139 | Italy | SAR | 1[144] | |||
Trainer Aircraft
| ||||||
Soko G-2 | Yugoslavia | light attack | 14[144] | |||
Aero L-39 | Czech Republic | jet trainer | 10[144] | |||
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 | Italy | basic trainer | 37[144] |
See also
- National Transitional Council
- Libyan Civil War.
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Further reading
- Libyan Air Force article, Air Forces Monthly, September 2010