The Libyan Air Force (القوات الجوية الليبية) was originally established as the Royal Libyan Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Malakiya al Libiyya) in 1951. It was initially equipped with transports and trainers aircraft: Douglas C-47s and Lockheed T-33s. While, the Northrup F-5 Freedom Fighters were delivered starting 1967.
With Gaddafi seizing power in 1969, the name was changed to the Libyan Arab Republic Air Force (LARAF).
It appeared later the serviceability of the F-5s were diminished; and been reported most may have been sold to Turkey.
With the assistance of the former Soviet Union, the LARAF embarked on a massive rearming effort, acquiring a large number of MiG-17/19/25 (MiG-25PD, MiG-25RBK, MiG-25PU and MiG-25RU) fighters and Tu-22 bombers and Mil Mi-24 Hind heavy attack helicopters.
In 1971, eleven (11) civilian C-130's were delivered by the USA, later converted in Italy to military configuration. Subsequently four C-100-30's were purchased from the Philippines and Luxembourg in 1981. In 1976, Twenty (20) CH-47 Chinook were acquired from Italy. Later in 1990s, 14 were transferred to the Libyan Army (Air Wing).
Dassault Mirage combat and advance trainer aircraft were delivered between 1978:1979 consisting of sixteen (16) F1AD day fighters, sixteen (16)F1ED multirole and six (6) F1DD two-seaters (38 total).
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation military support was substantially decreased . The last major delivery of former Soviet era aircraft was fifteen (15) Su-24 Fencers in March/April 1989.
Due to the UN embargo in 1992 (Lockerbie bombing), the rearming effort was halted while immediately after UN sanctions were lifted in early 1999. Libya initiated negotiations with the Russia Federation covering upgrades for its MiG-21s and MiG-25s, while expressed interest in MiG-29s, MiG-31s.
In January 2008 Libya acquired four ATR-42MP maritime patrol aircraft
Accoring to Jane's Sentinel Security Assessment - North Africa (dated: Jun 06, 2011) the Libyan Air Force:
Despite possessing a substantial force of combat aircraft, operational potential is poor due to inadequate maintenance support, deficiencies in training and very low levels of tactical awareness.
While Rear Admiral Gerard Hueber, chief of staff of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn stated (Dated March 23, 2011, Source: Voice of America
"Libyan air forces have been interdicted or atritted," said Admiral Hueber. "Those aircraft have either been destroyed or rendered inoperable. We have no confirmed flight activity by regime forces over the past 24 hours."
Commander of the Air Force: being incorporated
Air Force Personnel Strength: 18,000 (prior to the fall of Gaddafi)
Inventory Summary:
- Combat: 386 (total), 266 (last known in service), currently unknown
- Transport: 88 (total), 83 (last known in service), currently unknown
- Helicopters: 201 (total), 124 (last known in service), currently unknown
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Dassault Mirage F1 | 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. 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. One shot down by anti-Gaddafi forces on 3 March 2011.
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 | 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. 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. | Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 | 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. | Sukhoi Su-22 | 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. A number of other Su-22 are claimed as shot down by the rebels One shot down over Benghazi on 17 March.
| Sukhoi Su-24 | 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.
| Soko J-21 Jastreb | Light ground attack | J-21E | 13 |
| Aero L-39 Albatros | Light attack/trainer | Aero L-39ZO | 110 |
| Aermacchi SF.260 | Basic trainer | SF.260WL/ML | 19 | One SF.260ML crushed under a tank at Misrata airport on 23 February 2011. | Soko G-2 Galeb | Light attack/trainer | G-2A-E | 104 | One destroyed by a French Rafale fighter at Misrata airport on 24 March 2011. Four captured by rebels in hangar at Misrata airport.On 26 March 2011, five Galebs together with two Mi-35 helicopters were
reported destroyed by the French Air Force in the same area, but
satellite images showed that the five fixed wing aircraft were MiG-23s.
| Yakovlev Yak-130 | Jet trainer |
| 6 | On order (2010); Status up in balance after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announces ban on arms sales to Libya. | Dassault Falcon 20 | Light transport | 3 |
| Antonov An-26 | Medium transport | 10 | 17 February 2011. One An-26 captured by protesters in Kufra | Antonov An-32 | Medium transport | 10 | 10+ | Antonov An-72 | Medium transport | 5 | Google imagery (2011) shows two aircraft parked at Mitiga airport. | Gulfstream II | Light transport | 1 |
| Dassault Falcon 50 | Light transport | 1 |
| Ilyushin Il-76 | Heavy transport | 17 |
| Let L-410T Turbolet | Light utility transport | 15 |
| Lockheed C-130H Hercules | Heavy transport | 10 |
| Ilyushin Il-78 | Air to air refueler | 4 |
| Mil Mi-24 Hind | 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 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.
| Mil Mi-14 | Medium utility helicopter | 12 | 2011 civil war in February and March: One captured by rebels at Benghazi | Bell 206 JetRanger | Training helicopter | 4 |
| Bell 212 Twin Huey | Light transport helicopter | 2 | Delivered from Italy | Boeing CH-47 Chinook | Heavy transport helicopter | CH-47C | 8 | Delivered from Italy. According to pro-Gaddafi forces, they shot down two in Ajdabiya, 10 April 2011 | Mil Mi-8 Hip | Medium transport helicopter | 25 |
| Mil Mi-17 | Medium transport helicopter | unknown | Status up in balance after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announces ban on arms sales to Libya. | |
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