Marshall Haftar air power capacity could increase as UAE airbase in Libya is now ready to host fighter jets

Marshall Haftar air power capacity could increase as UAE airbase in Libya is now ready to host fighter jets
Version : November 10th, 2018
Number of pages : 8 (1430 words)

9,99€

Satellite imagery taken on November 10th, 2018, shows that al-Khadim airbase is now operational to receive a fleet of fighter jets. Indeed, the parking area under construction for two years is now “opened” on the runway. The expansion of the al-Khadim airbase which had been paused for more than half a year suddenly accelerated since October 2017. Al-Khadim is a former airport located in al-Marj province in eastern Libya. Since June 2016, Emirates IOMAX AT-802 “Air Tractor” turboprop aircraft and Chinese-made Wing Loong UAV have been deployed on this airbase on which extension works started to increase its capacity. The existing parking area was equipped with a dozen of shelters, half of them used to house aircraft and drones. This small fleet was engaged in airstrike and reconnaissance missions in support of Libyan National Army troops fighting islamist groups in Benghazi, in particular the Islamic State et the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council, or BRSC - a group with ties to Al Qaeda.

Libya - Weekly situation report 10 - 16 May

Fighting between Libyan National Army brigades and "Derna Protection Force" (former Derna Mujahideen Shura Council) militants are still ongoing in and around the city of Derna. Following the latest reinforcement, LNA Omar Mukhtar Operations Room has now about twenty brigades in the area (on almost hundred LNA units). LNA claimed seized Al-Hila, al-Fatayeh, suburbs of Sie Aziz, Sie Aoun, al-Khabta and the Haysha camp. Ground forces are supported by LNA Air Force and UAE Wing Loong drones and AT-802s turboprop aircraft flying from al-Khadim airbase in al-Marj. In Sebha, fighting continued in and around the historic castle which was partly destroyed. Since the beginning of May, more than 31 people have been killed and 121 wounded in the clashes. In western Libya, several networks of migrant traffickers were dismantled by Zuwara Police Forces seizing several boats and engines.

This report includes : - Situation in southern Libya - Situation in eastern Libya - Situation in western Libya - Coast guards activities - Foreign military flights - Demining activities 3,99€

United Nations Panel of Experts report for Libya used or confirmed my work and analyzes done since last year

On 9 June 2017, United Nations Panel of Experts published its latest report about Libya. Parts of this document (18 pages on 299) used or confirmed my work done for War Is Boring and Défense et Sécurité Internationale magazine.

My publications in March-April 2017

In March-April, two of my articles are published in Airpower and Air Force Monthly magazines. The first one is an analysis of the future of the F-35 : "Le F-35 est-il condamné ?". In Air Forces Monthly, I published the first contribution to my new series of monthly reports named the "Flashpoint" : "Dusty' goes to war", the secretive Libyan war record of the Air Tractor.

Les émirati sont sur le point de déployer des chasseurs en Libye

Base aérienne d'al-Khadim au 30 décembre 2016 (TerraServer)

De nouvelles photos satellites de la base aérienne d’al-Khadim prises en décembre dernier montrent clairement que les Emirats Arabes Unis sont sur le point de déployer des chasseurs sur le territoire libyen. L'engagement de la force aérienne d'Abu Dhabi aux côtés du maréchal Haftar a déjà été confirmé depuis plusieurs mois. En effet, les IOMAX AT-802 Air Tractor et les drones Wing Loong de fabrication chinoise sont situés sur la base aérienne d'al-Khadim depuis au moins le mois de juillet. Leurs pilotes - la plupart d'entre eux des mercenaires américains travaillant pour Erik Prince – ont régulièrement effectué des missions de soutien aérien au profit de l'Armée Nationale Libyenne contre les groupes islamistes à Benghazi.

Emirati are on the verge of deploying fighter jets in Libya

New satellite photos of the al-Khadim airbase taken in December clearly show that the United Arab Emirates are on the verge of deploying fighter jets on Libyan territory. The engagement of the air force of Abu Dhabi alongside Marshal Haftar has already been confirmed for several months. Indeed, IOMAX AT-802 Air Tractors and Chinese-made Wing Loong drones are located on al-Khadim airbase since at least July. Their pilots - most of them are American mercenaries working for Erik Prince as source told War Is Boring in January - regularly carried out air support missions for the benefit of the Libyan National Army against Islamic groups in Benghazi

Emirati Fighter Jets Could Help Tip the Libyan Civil War - A deployment of Mirage 2000s appears to be imminent

Mon interview pour RFI le 16 janvier 2017

Mon interview avec Olivier Fourt pour RFI (Radio France Internationale) le 16 janvier à propos des opérations menées en Libye par les pilotes d'Erik Prince (fondateur de l'ex-Blackwater) aux commandes des avions AT-802 "Air Tractor" déployés par les Emirats Arabes Unis en soutien au Général Haftar.

Interview audio




Erik Prince, fondateur de la société Blackwater, louerait ses services en Libye

Erik Prince’s Mercenaries Are Bombing Libya

On Jan. 11, 2017, Intelligence Online — a professional journal covering the world’s intelligence services — revealed that the pilots of Air Tractor attack planes flying from Al Khadim air base in Libya are private contractors working for Erik Prince, the founder of the company formerly known as Blackwater. War Is Boring’s own sources in Libya confirmed the assertion. Our sources said that the pilots flying the United Arab Emirates Air Force IOMAX AT-802 Air Tractors — converted crop-dusters — are mercenaries and aren’t Arabs. Most of the for-profit aviators are American, according to IOL. Prince denied involvement in the UAE air operations.

Erik Prince’s Mercenaries Are Bombing Libya - For-profit combat pilots fly Emirati Air Tractors

Impressive video of an airstrike performed by a UAE AT-802 in Benghazi

The video below was published on Libyan social media on 10th December. The footage show the impact of a guided bomb on a sniper position in Ganfouda district in Benghazi. From 01:00, the noise of a turbo-propelled engine (like the IOMAX AT-802) can be hear until the explosion. The guided bomb seen on the screenshot seems to be a GBU-12 or GBU-58. This is the second video showing the clear engagement of United Arab Emirates Air Force in support of Libyan National Army operations against Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries (or SCBR) and Islamic State (IS).

UAE warplanes are killing civilians in Benghazi

Twice in November 2016, the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council, or BRSC — a group with ties to Al Qaeda — published photos of United Arab Emirates Air Force AT-802 and Reaper-style drones in the sky over the Ganfouda area of Benghazi in eastern Libya. On Nov. 2, 2016, an S-100 Camcopter drone performed a reconnaissance mission over this district two hours before a Reaper or similar unmanned aerial vehicle carried out an air strike on a residential area. Ten days later, an Air Tractor belonging to the UAEAF struck the same area, killing at least four civilians including two children — and injuring another child. Drones launched four others air strikes in Ganfouda later the same day. Evidence is mounting that the UAE is indiscriminately bombing militant strongholds in Libya. And civilians are caught in the crossfire.

Guess Who’s Bombing the Crap Out of Libya - UAE warplanes are killing civilians in Benghazi

Les Emirats Arabes Unis en guerre en Libye

Au cours du mois de novembre, le Conseil des Révolutionnaires de la Shura de Benghazi, ou BRSC - un groupe ayant des liens avec Al-Qaïda - a publié des photos d’avions AT-802 "Air Tractor" et de drone de type MQ-9 Reaper de la force aérienne des Emirats Arabes Unis (UAEAF) en vol au-dessus de Ganfouda, un district de la ville de Benghazi dans l'est de la Libye.

IOMAX AT-802U "Air Tractor"de la force aérienne émirati envol au-dessus de Ganfouda le 12 novembre quelques minutes avant qu’il ne frappe

Reborn of the Yemeni Air Force began ?

Since the begining of Operation Decisive Storm on March 26th, 2015, most of the Yemeni Air Force has been destroyed on the ground by the Saudi led coalition airstrikes. Begining May, Al-Dalaimi air base was targeting and one Mig-29, two F-5s, one Mi-8, three Su-22s, two IL-76TDs were destroyed. Most of these aircrafts were probably not airworthy (except the Ilyushins). On August 4th, one Su-22 and one Mig-21 were lost on Al-Anab (close to Aden IAP) during the battle for the taking of the base by coalition airstrikes.