| Libyan Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1970-Present |
| Country | Libya |
| Allegiance | National Transitional Council |
| Type | Air Force |
| Size | 3,000 |
| Headquarters | Tripoli |
| Engagements | Six-Day War Yom Kippur War Libyan–Egyptian War Chadian–Libyan conflict Gulf of Sidra incident (1981) Gulf of Sidra incident (1989) 2011 Libyan civil war |
| Commanders | |
| Minister of Defense | Osama al-Juwali |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel | |
| Fin Flash | |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Su-22, J-21, Mi-14, Mi-24, Bell 206 |
| Bomber | Su-24 |
| Fighter | MiG-21, MiG-23, Mirage F1 |
| Trainer | SF-260, L-39, G-2, Yak-130 |
| Transport | An-26, Falcon 20, Falcon 50, Gulfstream II, Il-76, L-410, C-130, Il-78 Midas, Bell 212, CH-47, Mi-8 |
The Libyan Air Force (Arabic: القوات الجوية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the 2011 Libyan civil war, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000, with an inventory of 374 combat capable aircraft [1] operating from 13 military airbases in Libya.[2]
The air force was first established as the Royal Libyan Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Malakiya al Libiyya) in 1951. It was originally equipped with a small number of transports and trainers: Douglas C-47s and Lockheed T-33s. However, F-5 Freedom Fighters were delivered from 1967. In 1970 it changed its name to the Libyan Arab Republic Air Force. After U.S. forces had left Libya in 1970, Wheelus Air Base, a previous U.S. facility about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Tripoli, became a Libyan Air Force installation and was renamed Okba Ben Nafi Air Base. The base housed the LPAF's headquarters and a large share of its major training facilities. From 1970 a very large expansion of the air force took place, with large number of Soviet and some French combat aircraft being bought.
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During May 1967 the Kingdom of Libya reached an agreement with the USA to supply 10 Northrop F-5s to the Royal Libyan Air Force.[3] These were the first fighters for the young Air Force which only operated at the time six Douglas C-47 transports and three Lockheed T-33A trainers. Fifty-six personnel underwent training at basis in USA, pilots at Williams Air Force Base; an US Survey Team on Expansion came to Libya in August 1968 to supervise the introduction of the fighters. Serviceability of the F-5s declined after the 1969 coup and it appears that most may have eventually been sold to Turkey.
LPAF Soviet-made MiG-17/19/25 fighters and Tu-22 bombers were based at Okba Ben Nafi Air Base. After the 1969 seizure of power by Colonel Gaddafi, aircraft and personnel of the Soviet Air Force took residence at Okba Ben Nafi Air Base. With Soviet assistance, the Libyan Air Force was organized into one medium bomber squadron with Tupolev Tu-22s, three fighter interceptor squadrons, five forward ground attack squadrons, one counter-insurgency squadron, nine helicopter squadrons, and three air defense brigades deploying SA-2, SA-3, and Crotale missiles.[4] Of the combat aircraft, the United States Department of State estimated in 1983 that 50 percent remained in storage, including most of the MiG fighters and Tu-22 bombers. In 1971, 11 civilian C-130's were delivered by the USA and converted in Italy to military versions. Four C-100-30's were purchased from the Philippines and Luxembourg in 1981. In 1976, 20 CH-47 Chinook heavy transport helicopters were acquired from Italy, 14 of which were transferred to the army in the 1990s.
The Libyan Air Force operated a large number of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25s, some sources say more than 60 were delivered. Types were of the MiG-25PD, MiG-25RBK, MiG-25PU and MiG-25RU variants. They were operated by No. 1025 Squadron at Jufra-Hun, No. 1055 Squadron at Ghardabiya and an unidentified squadron at Sabha Air Base.[5] As of February 2007 Air Forces Monthly reported all aircraft of the type had been retired.[6] In addition, Dassault Mirage 5 aircraft bought after Gaddafi took power were also retired by 2008, becoming used for Pakistan Air Force spares.[7]
During the Libyan-Egyptian War in 1977 there were some skirmishes between Libyan and Egyptian fighters. Two LARAF MiG-23MS engaged two upgraded EAF MiG-21MF and one MiG-23MS was shot down by EAF Maj. Sal Mohammad.
The air force was also involved in combat against Tanzania during 1979 as part of the Uganda–Tanzania War to help its Ugandan allies, with a single Tu-22 flying an unsuccessful bombing mission against the town of Mwanza. In the 1970s and 80s Libyan Migs and Tupolevs were common visitors to the international airspace, close to Italy and NATO bases. On 19 July 1980, a Libyan MiG-23 crashed on the Sila Mountains in Castelsilano, Calabria, southern Italy.[8] On 27 June 1980 an Italian plane exploded while on route from Bologna to Palermo, off the island of Ustica.
The air force lost a total of four aircraft to United States Navy F-14 Tomcats in two incidents over the Gulf of Sidra, in 1981[9] and 1989. In addition, many planes were destroyed or damaged on the ground in 1986 when American planes attacked targets at Benghazi and Tripoli airports.
The air force was extensively used in the fighting in Chad in the 1980s, in support of Libyan ground units. It was reported that many Libyan bombing raids were carried out at excessively high altitudes when met with anti-aircraft fire so the attacks were not very effective. On 17 February 1986, in retaliation for the French Operation Epervier, a single LARAF Tu-22B attacked the airport at N'Djamena. The French air force bombed the Libyan air base at Ouadi Doum as retaliation. One Tu-22 bomber was shot down by captured SA-6 missile during an attack on an abandoned Libyan base on 8 August 1987. Another Tu-22 was lost on 7 September 1987, when a battery of French MIM-23 Hawk SAMs shot down one of the two Libyan bombers that were attacking N'Djamena.
The Chadians seized the Ouadi Doum base in 1987 and destroyed or captured two SF.260s, three Mil Mi-25s, two Tu-22B bombers, eleven L-39 jets, two complete 9K33 Osa (SA-8) SAM batteries,[10] and a plethora of additional equipment, weapons, supplies and ammunition, a good deal of which was flown out to France and the USA within the next five days. Four USAF C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft were sent to N'Djamena to collect the captured Libyan equipment. On 5 September 1987 Chadian technicals crossed into Libya and attacked the Maaten al-Sarra Air Base which is 96.5 kilometres (60.0 mi) in Libyan territory. The battle of Maaten al-Sarra was a major victory for Chad and several Libyan aircraft were destroyed on the ground with only minor Chadian casualties.[11]
On 8 October 1987, an Su-22M-22K was shot down by a FIM-92A Stinger missile in northern Chad. The pilot, Capt. Diya al-Din, ejected and was captured. The LARAF immediately organized a recovery operation, and a MiG-23 Flogger was also shot down by another Stinger. In December 1988 a Libyan SF.260 was shot down over northern Chad by Chadian troops.
On the other side, the considerable Libyan cargo plane fleet, was apparently employed capably in Chad and elsewhere.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the elimination of military aid by the new Russian Federation, Soviet/Russian support was drastically curtailed. The last major delivery of Soviet aircraft was 15 Su-24 Fencers in March/April 1989.
Much of Libyan air doctrine appears now to be of an ad hoc nature and contracted personnel from Yugoslavia, South Africa, Russia, North Korea and Pakistan provide piloting, maintenance and technical services.
The 1990s drop in oil prices and UN embargo made purchase of modern equipment almost impossible. UN sanctions were lifted in early 1999 and Libya started prospective negotiations with Russia about upgrades for its MiG-21s and MiG-25s while also expressing an interest in MiG-29s, MiG-31s and long-range SAMs. However, many of the transport and combat aircraft are in storage.
In January 2008 Libya bought 4 ATR-42MP maritime patrol aircraft from Italy’s Alenia.
The LARAF MiG-21s do not fly at all due to reported serviceability issues and of 170 MiG-23s delivered, only 30-50 are believed to be flyable aircraft. Those ratios may be similar for several other platforms.
During the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan Air Force warplanes and attack helicopters launched repeated airstrikes on protesters, reportedly targeting a funeral procession and a group of protesters trying to reach an army base.[12][13] On 21 February 2011, two senior Libyan Air Force pilots defected and flew their Mirage F1 fighter jets to Malta and requested political asylum after defying orders to bomb protesters.[14]
On 23 February 2011, pilot Abdessalam Attiyah al-Abdali and co-pilot Ali Omar al-Kadhafi, crew of a Sukhoi-22, ejected with parachutes near Ajdabiya, 161 kilometres (100 mi) west of Benghazi, after refusing orders to bomb the city of Benghazi.[15] Anti-Gaddafi forces and Syrian opposition groups claim that Syrian pilots were flying attacks for the Libyan government.[16] Rebels claimed to have shot down Air Force jets over Brega and Ra's Lanuf.[17]
At Brega a Mirage F-1 was shot down and at Ra's Lanuf a Sukhoi Su-24 bomber and a helicopter (probably a Mi-24). Exactly how many and what types of aircraft have been shot down were not confirmed by government or independent sources. Using air power, the Libyan army checked the opposition advance westwards, towards Bin Jawad in early March.[18] On 13 March 2011, Ali Atiyya, a colonel of the Libyan Air Force at the Mitiga military airport, near Tripoli, announced that he had defected and joined the revolution.[19] Rebels claimed to have shot down what appeared to be a MiG-21 outside of Bohadi. On 17 March, a Su-22M-3K was shot down over Benina AB, pilot ejected safely and captured.[20] On 17 March, a "Free Libya Air Force" MiG-21UM crashed after take off from Benina airport due to technical problems. It was flown from Ghardabiya Air Base near Sirte to Benina by a defecting pilot the day before.[21]
On 19 March 2011, a rebel MiG-23BN was shot down over Benghazi by rebel air defence forces in a case of mistaken identity.[22] The pilot ejected, but at a very low altitude, and was reported to have been killed as a result.[23][24] BBC News reported on 20 March that the rebel aircraft was shot down by its own air defenses[25]
Two days later, the UN Security Council adopted United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 which legitimised the operation. US and British warships launched more than 120 Tomahawk cruise missiles against Libyan air defences and four US B-2 stealth bombers attacked several airfields.[26]
On 23 March 2011, British Air Vice-Marshal Greg Bagwell was quoted by the BBC saying that the Libyan 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."[27] On 24 March 2011 several media sources reported that a French Dassault Rafale destroyed a G-2 Galeb near Misrata. Initial reports of the French action said the Libyan 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, 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[28], but satellite images showed that the five fixed wing aircraft were MiG-23s.[29]
F-16 Belgian Air Force hit a Libyan Su-22M-3K plane during operation on 27 March.[30]
On 7 May 2011, after weeks of complete inactivity, Libyan Air Force conducted a successful air raid over the rebel held fuel depots at Misrata setting them on fire. The rebels reported that the raid was conducted with crop dusting aircraft, but probably SF.260 light attack aircraft were used taking off from Misrata airport. NATO failed to intercept the bombing mission.[31]
Military airforce bases include [32]:
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dassault Mirage F1 | France | Multi role fighter | Mirage F1BD/ED | 1 (2 in Malta) | 32 delivered in the 1970s, most of them have disappeared. Some are based at Gamal Abdul El Nasser Air Base, south of Tobruk. In 2007, Dassault Aviation was awarded a contract to put 12 remaining airframes back into flying condition. Only four have been refitted.[33]
Two were flown to Malta on 21 February 2011 by pilots who, by their account, chose to apply for asylum after being instructed to bomb protesters.[34] One shot down by anti-Gaddafi forces on 3 March 2011.[35] |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 | Soviet Union | Trainer/interceptor | MiG-21UM/bis/MF | 23 | Most are grounded. On 15 March 2011, one MiG-21bis and one MiG-21UM landed at Benina airport flown by defector Libyan air force pilot who joined the rebellion.[36] On 17 March 2011, a "Free Libyan Air Force" MiG-21UM crashed after take off from Benina airport due to technical problems. It was flown from Ghardabiya Air Base near Sirte to Benina by a defecting pilot the day before.[21] |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 | Soviet Union | Ground attack/interceptor/trainer | MiG-23BN/MS/ML/UB | 109 | Most are grounded. 2011 civil war in February and March: at least four captured by rebels in air base in Benghazi February and March 2011. Four captured by rebels in hangar at Misrata. One captured by rebels at Brak.[37]
On 15 March 2011, a rebel website reported that opposition forces started using a captured MiG-23 and a helicopter to sink two loyalist ships and bombing some tank positions.[38][39] On 19 March 2011, a rebel Free Libyan Air Force MiG-23BN was shot down over Benghazi.[22][40] On 26 March 2011, five MiG-23s together with two Mi-35 helicopters were destroyed by the French Air Force while parked at Misrata airport, early reports misidentified the five fixed wing aircraft as G-2 Galebs.[41] |
| Sukhoi Su-22 | Soviet Union | Ground attack | Sukhoi Su-22M3/UM-3K | 36 | One lost on 23 February 2011 as the crew of two refused to follow an order to attack protesters and ejected out of their plane, which crashed near Ajdabiya, 161 kilometres (100 mi) west of Benghazi.[42] A number of other Su-22 are claimed as shot down by the rebels[36]
One shot down over Benghazi on 17 March. |
| Sukhoi Su-24 | Soviet Union | Bomber/Ground attack | Sukhoi Su-24MK | 2 | One lost in a fire, One reported to have been shot down outside Ra's Lanuf on 5 March 2011 by anti-Gaddafi rebels.[43] |
| Soko J-21 Jastreb | Yugoslavia | Light ground attack | J-21E | 13 | |
| Aero L-39 Albatros | Czechoslovakia | Light attack/trainer | Aero L-39ZO | 110 | |
| Aermacchi SF.260 | Italy | Basic trainer | SF.260WL/ML | 19 | One SF.260ML crushed under a tank at Misrata airport on 23 February 2011.[44] |
| Soko G-2 Galeb | Yugoslavia | Light attack/trainer | G-2A-E | 104 | One destroyed by a French Rafale fighter at Misrata airport on 24 March 2011.[45] Four captured by rebels in hangar at Misrata airport. |
| Yakovlev Yak-130 | Russia | Jet trainer | 6 | On order (2010); Status up in balance after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announces ban on arms sales to Libya.[46] | |
| Dassault Falcon 20 | France | Light transport | 3 | ||
| Antonov An-26 | Soviet Union | Medium transport | 10 | 17 February 2011. One An-26 captured by protesters in Kufra[36] | |
| Antonov An-32 | Ukraine | Medium transport | 10 | 10+ | |
| Antonov An-72 | Soviet Union | Medium transport | 5 | Google imagery (2011) shows two aircraft parked at Mitiga airport. | |
| Gulfstream II | USA | Light transport | 1 | ||
| Dassault Falcon 50 | France | Light transport | 1 | ||
| Ilyushin Il-76 | Soviet Union | Heavy transport | 17 | ||
| Let L-410T Turbolet | Czechoslovakia | Light utility transport | 15 | ||
| Lockheed C-130H Hercules | USA | Heavy transport | 10 | ||
| Ilyushin Il-78 | Soviet Union | Air to air refueler | 4 | ||
| Mil Mi-24 Hind | Russia | Heavy attack helicopter | Mi-24A/Mi-25/Mi-35 | 35 | Three captured by Chadian rebels in the 1980s and sent to France and US for evaluation. Mi-24 shot down anti-Gaddafi rebels in Ra's Lanuf, 6 March 2011[47]
On 26 March 2011, French Air Force reported that two Mi-35 helicopters were destroyed on the ground at Misrata airport together with five MiG-23s, originally misidentified as Galebs.[41] |
| Mil Mi-14 | Russia | Medium utility helicopter | 12 | 2011 civil war in February and March: One captured by rebels at Benghazi[48] | |
| Bell 206 JetRanger | USA | Training helicopter | 4 | ||
| Bell 212 Twin Huey | USA | Light transport helicopter | 2 | Delivered from Italy | |
| Boeing CH-47 Chinook | USA | Heavy transport helicopter | CH-47C | 8 | Delivered from Italy. According to pro-Gaddafi forces, they shot down two in Ajdabiya, 10 April 2011 [49] |
| Mil Mi-8 Hip | Russia | Medium transport helicopter | 25 | ||
| Mil Mi-17 | Russia | Medium transport helicopter | ? | Status up in balance after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announces ban on arms sales to Libya.[46] | |
| Lavochkin SA-2 | Soviet Union | Air defence SAM | 88 | At least two have been reported captured by anti-government protesters and defected military units in Tobruk. | |
| Isayev SA-3 | Soviet Union | Air defence SAM | 10 | ||
| SA-5 | Soviet Union | Air defence SAM | ? | ||
| SA-6 | Soviet Union | Air defence SAM | 43 |
World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 337 Sheet 03
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