Lybian MiG-25s flying again

Satellite imagery of Misrata and Mitiga airbase confirm that Libya Dawn has recently gotten at least one MiG-25 operational, or is in the progress of making it operational. Libya Dawn is working on restoring one of Libya's Foxbats. This news comes just as it has been confirmed that the Libyan Air Force is now working on making at least one Mirage F.1AD fighter-bomber operational.
Libya Dawn, fighting for Libya's unrecognised parliament currently residing in the capital of Tripoli, is in terms of personnel and equipment the second-strongest force currently fighting in Libya. The most powerful force remains the Libyan National Army (LNA), fighting for Libya's internationally recognsed government residing in Tobruk.
Libya Dawn is in control of a vast amount of land in Libya, including Libya's capital Tripoli and large cities like Misrata and parts of Benghazi. It also controls Tripoli International Airport and strategically important airbases such as Mitiga, Misrata and al-Jufra, the last of these housing a large part of Libya's now decommissioned MiG-25 fleet and all of Libya's decommissioned Tu-22 bombers. Thanks to the aircraft and equipment found on these airbases, Libya Dawn succeeded in establishing their very own air force consisting of at least two Soko G-2 Galebs, one J-21 Jastreb, a couple of L-39s and two MiG-23MLDs in addition to several Il-76s, SF-260s and a small number of helicopters. Libya Dawn is currently also working on bringing one MiG-23UB and two Soko G-2 Galebs operational at Mitiga, with more airframes likely to follow.
One of the MiG-23MLDs operating out of Misrata was shot down by an Igla-S fired from a Strelets launcher while bombing the airstrip of al-Zintan on the 23th of March 2015, with its pilot KIA.
spioenkop

Egypt Conducts Airstrikes on Islamic State Targets in Libya

The Egyptian military said on Monday that it had carried out airstrikes in Libya in retaliation for the beheading of more than a dozen Egyptian Christians by a branch of the Islamic State extremist group there.
In a statement Monday morning, the Egyptian military said that it had conducted airstrikes at dawn against training camps and arms depots of the Islamic State group in Libya, but it did not provide further details. Egyptian warplanes had struck Derna, a town in eastern Libya that is a hub of Islamist militancy. It is also close to the Egyptian border, well within the range of the jets.
The airstrikes are a dramatic escalation of Egypt’s role in the continuing battle between armed factions in Libya for control of the country. With the backing of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt has worked covertly to support a Libyan general who is fighting to take back the capital and much of the coast from a rival coalition of militia groups, some of which are made up of Islamist extremists.
The Egyptian military said in a statement issued around 8:30 a.m. that the dawn strikes were “retribution and response to the criminal acts of terrorist elements and organizations inside and outside the country.”
Egypt’s air assault came less than 12 hours after the main Islamic State group released a video online that appeared to show fighters from the group’s self-proclaimed Tripolitania Province beheading more than a dozen Egyptian Christians.
The video of their beheadings Sunday night aroused special horror in Egypt and beyond because it was filmed with the theatrical brutality that has become a trademark of the Islamic State.
nytimes

Libyan Air Force receives four new Su-27 fighter jets

The Libyan Air Force has reportedly taken delivery of four new Su-27 aircraft from an undisclosed country.
As Libya is not listed as an official buyer of the Sukhoi Su-27, it is believed to have acquired second-hand or refurbished fighters from other countries.
However, the LNA did not disclose whether the jets were new, or loaned from neighbouring states or allies, or an addition of upgraded old aircraft to the existing Air Force squadrons.
The delivery comes as the Libyan Armed Forces pledge to intensify airstrikes on all vital infrastructure in the city of Misrata.
airforce-technology

Air Force may move drones, personnel inside Niger

The Air Force may redeploy its remotely piloted aircraft in Niger, moving the drones to a remote area in the Sahara to better position them to watch Islamic militants in the area.
Last year, the Air Force deployed about 100 airmen and remotely piloted aircraft to Niamey in the southwestern region of Niger to “provide support for intelligence collection and ... facilitate intelligence sharing with French forces conducting operations in Mali”. The deployment included Air Force security forces to protect the aircraft.
U.S. Africa Command is looking to move the aircraft about 450 miles north to Agadez. That city of in the northern part of the country has a small airstrip on its southern edge.
The move is at the request of, and in coordination with the government of Niger and the Nigerian Armed Forces, AFRICOM.
This location would be closer for crews to keep an eye on militants spreading in Libya to the north. Nigeria agreed to the U.S. presence to help secure the country’s borders against jihadist infiltrations from Libya.
Aircraft would still operate at the Niamey base.
The Air Force, on Aug. 21, posted a solicitation for 18 shelter systems to house U.S. aircraft and personnel in in Agadez. Earlier solicitations sought jet fuel and runway repair in the area. The move would not fully take place until the infrastructure at the base is ready.
U.S. drones have also been deployed to N’Djamena, Chad, and bases in the Horn of Africa and the Seychelles. Additional surveillance flights over Libya are flown from bases in Italy.
airforcetimes

Qatari C-17 alleged to have visited Libya

The Libyan Air Force posted a photograph of a military transport on its Facebook page on 15 January, alleging it was a Qatari aircraft that had landed at a base controlled by one of the country's militias.
Much of the Libyan Air Force, including the people who control the Facebook page, is loyal to Khalifa Haftar, a former Libyan Army officer who launched an offensive against Islamist militias in the east of the country in May without approval from the country's weak central authorities.
The aircraft in the photograph is a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft with a Qatari flag on its tail. While the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) operates four C-17s that were delivered between 2009 and 2012, there is nothing to prove the photograph was taken in Libya.
Flight records obtained by the panel of experts that monitors the UN arms embargo on Libya show that Qatari C-17s visited Tripoli's Mitiga International Airport twice and Binina Airbase outside Benghazi once between 15 January and 16 April 2013.
The panel is attempting to investigate allegations that the aircraft picked up arms shipments in Libya that were flown to Turkey and supplied to Syrian insurgents. It noted in its 19 February report that, after the three Libyan flights returned to Qatar's Al-Ubeid Airbase, the next C-17s to depart flew to Ankara.
Earlier in June, Haftar's spokesman Muhammad Hijazi accused Sudan of supplying Qatari-funded weapons to Islamist militias, saying a shipment had been flown to Mitiga International Airport for a militia loyal to Abdel Hakim Belhaj on 6 June. Belhaj is a veteran commander of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) who is now the leader of Libya's Al-Watan party. He is widely perceived to be one of the main beneficiaries of Qatari support during and since the 2011 rebellion that overthrew Muammar Ghadaffi in 2011.
The Libyan Air Defence Command, which is also loyal to Haftar, potentially has the ability to detect aircraft flying across the country's southeastern border with Sudan. It announced in October 2013 that it had repaired a P-12/18 surveillance radar and associated operations room in Al-Kufrah: a remote southeastern district that borders Sudan and Chad.
Colonel Alswarmi Khalid Saad, the spokesman for the Sudan Armed Forces, denied that Sudan has supplied weapons to militants in Libya. He added that the two countries now have excellent defence ties and that dozens of Libyans are currently studying at its military college.
The UN panel of experts has reported that Sudan has leased three Mi-24/35 combat helicopters to Libya in contravention of the arms embargo. One of the helicopters crashed in July 2013 and photographs posted on the Binina Airbase's Facebook page indicate that at least one (an Mi-24/35P with serial number 959) of the two survivors is currently operating in support of Haftar's forces.
The latest allegations imply that Qatar is again sending arms to Libya, rather than shipping them out for Syrian rebels. While the extent to which this is happening remains unclear, Libya is another potential arena for the Saudi-Qatari rivalry.
If the Saudi-backed government in Cairo can be persuaded to refuse Qatari military transports permission to fly through Egyptian airspace, then Sudan offers a potential route or transhipment point for weapons going to or from Libya.
This raises the possibility that the MiG-21 fighters operated by the Libyan Air Force elements that are loyal to Haftar could try to intercept transport aircraft flying across the Libyan-Sudanese border with the help of the early warning facility in Al-Kufrah.
janes

US crisis response Marines mobilized for north Africa threat

A team of crisis response Marines has moved from Spain to a U.S. base in southern Italy in response to new security concerns in northern Africa.
About 180 Marines and sailors, along with two KC130s and four Ospreys, were moved Tuesday to NAS Sigonella in Sicily. The base is a strategic launching pad that offers quick access to potential hot spots in northern Africa. The team is ready to respond if needed to undisclosed security concerns at U.S. installations in the region.
The concerns are centered on Libya.
The Morón, a Spain-based Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response unit, formed last year in the wake of the attacks on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, is mobilized periodically in connection with potential threats in Africa. The unit took part in embassy evacuation efforts in South Sudan last year.
The latest alert comes at a time when there are security concerns stretching from Mali, where French forces have been fighting Islamic militants, to Nigeria, where U.S. military personnel are assisting in the search for girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram regional terrorist group.
By moving Marines to Sigonella, the troops are now a short flight from Libya, where there also has been widespread concern over Islamic militants taking root there. In Yemen last week, the U.S. suspended operations at its embassy, citing security concerns. Last month, U.S. officials killed two armed Yemenis who were trying to kidnap them.
In March, the Defense Department announced it would boost its presence in Spain, adding more Marines, slating to grow from 500 to 850 Marines.
stripes

Turkey hopes to export T-129 to Libya

Turkey’s procurement officials are hoping to penetrate into the emerging Libyan arms market, especially with aerial platforms Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is developing.
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan visited TAI production facilities on Jan. 3. It said that he was briefed on the possible sale of the T-129 ATAK attack and tactical reconnaissance helicopter and the Hurkus basic trainer aircraft.
A TAI official said the company hoped to launch talks on potential sales of both platforms to Libya.
TAI has been developing the T-129 in partnership with the Italian-British AgustaWestland. Earlier, TAI launched talks on potential sales to Pakistan, Jordan and Azerbaijan.
The initial T-129A is being used for flight testing while the full specification T-129B is still under development. For any sales deal, however, Turkey must obtain US permission to export the LHTEC CTS800-4N engine powering the T-129.
The TAI official also said that Libya, which is still trying to improve its Air Force, could be a potential buyer for the Hurkus trainer.
The Turkish government Dec. 26 signed a contract for the serial production of two versions of the Hurkus, an indigenous trainer aircraft developed by TAI. TAI has said the Hurkus-A, an analog cockpit-base model, made its maiden flight Aug. 23. It has flown a total of 800 hours in 15 sorties since then.
The contract involves the production of 15 Hurkus-Bs, an advanced version with improved avionics. Turkey’s military electronics specialist, Aselsan, will be tasked to produce military avionics for the aircraft.
TAI also said the contract involves conceptual design work for the Hurkus-C, an armed aircraft with aerial support, reconnaissance and surveillance roles.
The two-seat Hurkus will have a maximum lifespan of 10,500 flight hours, or about 35 years. The turboprop has a single 1,600-horsepower engine and can fly at a height of 10,577 meters at a maximum speed of 574 kilometers per hour.
The Hurkus will be equipped for day and night flying, as well as for basic pilot training, instrument flying, navigation training, and weapons and formation training. It will have good visibility from both cockpits, with a 50-degree down-view angle from the rear cockpit, ejection seats, an on-board oxygen generation system, an environmental control system, an anti-G system, and shock-absorbing landing gear for training missions.
defensenews

Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar interested in Chinook

Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar head the list of countries looking to begin flying variants of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter in coming years, Boeing officials saidWednesday.
If deals being negotiated between Boeing, the US government, and these three countries eventually come to fruition, projections are that at least 54 Chinooks would be shipped overseas, making up a good portion of the 168 Chinooks that foreign clients around the globe are considering buying in coming years.
defensenews

LYBIA SET TO ACQUIRE TWO C-130J

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress June 7 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Libya of 2 C-130J-30 aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $588 million.
The Government of Libya has requested a sale of 2 C-130J-30 aircraft, 10 Rolls Royce AE 2100D3 engines (8 installed and 2 spares), aircraft modifications, Government Furnished Equipment (including radios), support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S.
Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated cost is $588 million.
dsca

U.K. Set To Order Brimstone Missiles, Replenish RAF Stocks

Britain’s Ministry of Defence is set to order a new batch of Brimstone precision-guided missiles from maker MBDA as the Royal Air Force continues to rebuild weapon stocks in the wake of the Libyan conflict.

alert5
defensenews

UK details cruise missile use in Libya campaign

The UK Ministry of Defence has disclosed new details about its use of precision-guided weapons during 2011's Libya campaign, including air- and submarine-launched cruise missiles.

flightglobal

Gaddafi was killed by French secret serviceman on orders of Nicolas Sarkozy

A French secret serviceman acting on the express orders of Nicolas Sarkozy is suspected of murdering Colonel Gaddaf


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U.S. intelligence now says Benghazi attack "deliberate and organized"

The top U.S. intelligence authority issued an unusual public statement on Friday declaring it now believed the September 11 attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, was a "deliberate and organized terrorist attack."

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Syria rebels struggle in fresh Aleppo assault

There has been heavy fighting in Syria's biggest city of Aleppo, with state media saying rebels have suffered big losses in their latest assault.


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Libyan Chinook to make appearance at Malta Air Show

A Libyan air force Chinook helicopter will make a rare appearance at the Malta Air Show this weekend.

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Libya orders ‘illegitimate’ militias to disband

Libya’s president ordered all of the country’s militias to come under government authority or disband, a move that appeared aimed at harnessing popular anger against the powerful armed groups following the attack that killed the U.S. ambassador.

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Francia y Qatar vuelan juntas sobre Libia/ French and Qatari forces fly togheter

The French air force is working hand-in-hand or, should I say, wing-to-wing over Libya with the Qatari air force. “This is because we have the same type of aircraft: Mirage 2000-5s
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Las Fuerzas Aéreas de Francia y Qatar están trabajando codo con codo en la misión sobre Libia. Este hecho se ve faclitado por que ambos países disponen de aviones Mirage-5
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El F-22 no actúa en Libia por la Distancia a Estados Unidos/ Distance kept F-22 away from action in Libya

Oficiales de la USAF han declarado que los F-22 se mantienen fuera del conflicto contra Libia, por la distancia existente a Estados Unidos.
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Distance kept the United States' fleet of F-22 Raptors out of the fight over Libya.
Stateside Basing Kept the F-22 Out of the Libya Fight
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Suecia desplegará 8 Gripen para la misión ONU contra Libia /Sweden deploys 8 Gripens for Libya no-fly zone, no ground attacks

Suecia desplegará ocho cazas Gripen para reforzar la operación contra Libia, pero no tomarán parte en ataques contra objetivos terrestres.
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Sweden will deploy eight of its Gripen fighters to help enforce the no-fly zone in Libya. However, these jets will not take part in any ground attack missions.
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ESPAÑA REALIZARÁ EL MANTENIMIENTO DE FLOTA DE HÉRCULES DE LIBIA

Según informa Infodefensa.com, ITP y el Ejército del Aire realizarán el mantenimiento de los Hércules de Libia en Sevilla La empresa industria de Turbo Propulsores (ITP) y el Ejército del Aire han firmado un acuerdo de colaboración con Libia para el mantenimiento de los Hércules del Ejército del país magrebí en las instalaciones de la Maestranza Aérea de Sevilla.
ITP iniciará las revisiones de las aeronaves libias salvadas las trabas administrativas.