Libyan Mirages Defect to Malta.
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I would imagine the jettisoned stores would be a bomb of some sort, as the dangling bomb ring at the rear of the inboard pylon would normally be connected to the aft fuse on said bomb.
Reports of Libyan Naval vessels in Malta.
LIBYA: Warship defects to Malta | Babylon & Beyond | Los Angeles Times
February 22, 2011 | 7:03 pm
A Libyan warship arrived in Malta on Tuesday after its crew refused to carry out orders to bomb Benghazi, the satellite network Al Jazeera reported.
A second Libyan ship has also reportedly been sighted in the area, the network reported.
TJ
LIBYA: Warship defects to Malta | Babylon & Beyond | Los Angeles Times
February 22, 2011 | 7:03 pm
A Libyan warship arrived in Malta on Tuesday after its crew refused to carry out orders to bomb Benghazi, the satellite network Al Jazeera reported.
A second Libyan ship has also reportedly been sighted in the area, the network reported.
TJ
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I wonder if we'll find that the large scale air attacks on cities turn out to be a repeat of the weapons of mass destruction/mobile chemical weapons labs story spun by the lone Iraqi deserter... sorry, dissident that sent the US to war in 2003 and now admitted by the man who told them to be a pack of lies.
What better yarn to spin for some military man, possibly - probably - with quite a chequered past, wanting the magic ticket to guaranteed asylum in the West.
What better yarn to spin for some military man, possibly - probably - with quite a chequered past, wanting the magic ticket to guaranteed asylum in the West.
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LIBYA: Maltese 'selling' Libyan fighter jets | Babylon & Beyond | Los Angeles Times
Almost as bad as OUR Government 
A prankster in Malta is "auctioning off" the two French-made Libyan fighter jets that landed on the small island nation Monday on a local classifieds website called Malta Park.
The two pilots have reportedly sought asylum in Malta after they refused orders to bomb protesters who had taken over the Libyan city of Benghazi.
The ad describes the two Mirage fighter jets as being in "excellent condition" with "power steering, central locking, electric windows, fluffy pink dice and custom Muammar Gaddafi bobblehead figurine."
"Pilots not included," it added.
-- Meris Lutz in Beirut
The two pilots have reportedly sought asylum in Malta after they refused orders to bomb protesters who had taken over the Libyan city of Benghazi.
The ad describes the two Mirage fighter jets as being in "excellent condition" with "power steering, central locking, electric windows, fluffy pink dice and custom Muammar Gaddafi bobblehead figurine."
"Pilots not included," it added.
-- Meris Lutz in Beirut
Almost as bad as OUR Government
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Yeah, I'm sure they would be sh1tting bricks at the thought of half a dozen Harriers with the RCS of a barn door laying just off the coast.
Ark Royal would last about 2 mins if 'Colonel G' gave the order.
P.S. Why is he only a Colonel, I'd have thought you would need to be at least a General to get away with a Goatee.
Ark Royal would last about 2 mins if 'Colonel G' gave the order.
P.S. Why is he only a Colonel, I'd have thought you would need to be at least a General to get away with a Goatee.
HMS Cumberland is rather less of a show of force even.
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HMS Cumberland is rather less of a show of force even.
The British Government in a bid to enhance their credibility could then announce that they were sending three additional Type 42 Destroyers, HMS Exeter, HMS Southampton and HMS Nottingham to join HMS Cumberland, and the SUN/Daily Mirror would run all the "Our Boys" go to the rescue stories without checking their facts first, and unless Gaddafi reads Edisposal or here, he would be totally unaware of our cunning plan.
Last edited by NutLoose; 23rd Feb 2011 at 11:06.
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Armed Forces of Malta - AFM have issued a statement saying no Libyan ships have defected, none have berthed in Malta - and the Government is not monitoring any Libyan Ships.
AFM deny media reports on arrival of Libyan naval vessels - Gozo News.Com
A second source states there is activity South of Malta involving Italian Naval ships.
timesofmalta.com - AFM denies Libyan warships arrival reports
AFM deny media reports on arrival of Libyan naval vessels - Gozo News.Com
A second source states there is activity South of Malta involving Italian Naval ships.
timesofmalta.com - AFM denies Libyan warships arrival reports
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Just saw that in CNN World news - reporting a Su-22 crew bailed out rather than perform orders to bomb the city of Benghazi.
Aircraft crashed west of the city of Ijdabiya, 160 km (100 miles) southwest of Benghazi,
Aircraft crashed west of the city of Ijdabiya, 160 km (100 miles) southwest of Benghazi,
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I think legally the Maltese will have to return them sometime
Pity as they are building up quite a nice little air force at no cost to the taxpayer..............
The French are probably already there offering them spares
Pity as they are building up quite a nice little air force at no cost to the taxpayer..............
The French are probably already there offering them spares
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
There is a 4000 ft strip there which looks to be a sand runway.
Benghazi looks interesting. The HAS site appears unused although each appears to have a fence around the front of each HAS. The concrete is pristine except where there is a number of wheel tracks where vehicles appear to have been doing high-speed turns. The main apron OTOH appears to have 5 Fencer but there are also some 7 ac that look like Transall. The Su-24 look interesting as Wikipedia says they have 4, one lost in a fire.
The Google imagery is 2009. Interestingly the 2004 imagery shows the same number of transports in exactly the same spots. There are no fences (or wheel marks) around the HAS in 2004.
edited to add:
Given that Gaddaffi control is in the west of the country it is possible the Fitter was launched from Tripoli. The crash site was about 360nm from Tripoli and Benghazi is also 360nm from Tripoli. It would suggest that they had insufficient fuel to fly to Benghazi and then Malta. Maybe they banged out near their home city.
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I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
WW, thank you.
As for the ex-Iraqi Air Force, I believe it was finders keepers.
When the US EP3A landed in China the PDRC duly returned it. Similarliy when the Firebar landed in West Berlin we also returned it.
As for the ex-Iraqi Air Force, I believe it was finders keepers.
When the US EP3A landed in China the PDRC duly returned it. Similarliy when the Firebar landed in West Berlin we also returned it.