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

A New Civil War Could Break Out in Libya

A New Civil War Could Break Out in Libya

Fresh fighting would pit the Libyan National Army against the Government of National Accord

by Wolfgang Pusztai and Arnaud Delalande

Beginning in December 2016, the Saraya Defend Benghazi — also known as Benghazi Defense Brigade — an Islamist militia group that formed in June 2016 to oppose Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s Tobruk-based Libyan National Army, was involved in the attack on facilities in Libya’s Oil Crescent.

The LNA decisively repulsed the attacks. But the wider conflict is only deepening — and could spark a new civil war in Libya pitting the two major claimants to the country’s leadership. Haftar and his allies in Tobruk on one side. On the other, the Government of National Accord in Tripoli.

Resource constraints on both sides could head off further fighting — assuming the local allies of both Haftar and the GNA behave themselves.

More infos : A New Civil War Could Break Out in Libya

Il y a 30 ans, l'Armée de l'Air frappait une nouvelle fois Ouadi-Doum

Yvon Goutx à bord de son Mirage F1CR au-dessus du Tchad (Crédit photo : Yvon Goutx)

Au cours de l'opération Manta, les forces françaises avaient établi une "Ligne rouge" le long du 15e parallèle - une position ayant pour but le blocage de toute avance des troupes de Mouammar Kadhafi ou de Goukouni Oueddei dans le sud du Tchad - qui fut étendue au 16e parallèle lorsqu'un Jaguar fut abattu et son pilote tué en janvier 1984. Le 16 février 1986, l'armée de l'air française lança un premier raid aérien sur une base aérienne libyenne construite près de l'oasis de Ouadi-Doum dans le nord du Tchad. La piste fut complètement détruite par onze Jaguar utilisant des bombes BAP-100, ainsi commençait l'Opération Epervier. Au début de janvier 1987, Habré voulu profiter de l'engagement des Libyens dans le Tibesti pour attaquer la ville de Fada. En représailles, les chasseurs libyens franchirent la ligne rouge pour frapper Oum-Chalouba et Arada, les forces françaises basées à Kalaït recevant quelques bombes.

Iraqi Army Aviation Mi-35M crashed near Baiji

An Iraqi Army Aviation Mi-35M crashed near Baiji this morning killing the four crew members : Pilot Mojtaba Kazazi Hilal, Lieutenant Hussein Kamel, Joey Omar Arif, Weapons technician Jabbar. The 35th Attack Squadron of Iraqi Army Aviation lost four others Mi-35M before, one crashed at Al-Saqlawiyah near Fallujah on 16 June 2014 and another was shot down on 3 October 2014 by a FN-6 MANPADS between Baiji and al-Senniyah. On 4 November, a pilot managed to make an emergency landing after beeing wounded by ground fire west of Ramadi. The helicopter and its crew were safe. On 22 August 2015, Mi-35M serial “YI-361” has made an emergency landing in a safe area west of Samarra after hit a power line. The crew was wounded and the helicopter suffered damages after starting to burn. On 4 April 2016, another Hind crashed near al-Kut airbase injuring the two crew members. On mid-2013, a contract was signed for an order of 28 Mi-35M and fifteen Mi-28NE helicopters. Twenty units have been already delivered into five batches of four : first in November 2013, the last on 26th August 2015. The fifteen remaining helicopters are in service with 35th Attack Squadron.

Confirmed : Libyan cadets graduated in Egypt in July 2016 now fly for Marshall Haftar

On 20 July 2016, 110 cadets were graduated from the Egyptian air force academy after three years of study. Among them, thirty-five were Libyan as I revealed on War Is Boring. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi awarded medals to the first graduates from Egypt and the State of Palestine, Kuwait, Libya, Sudan and South Sudan. And on July 29, 2016, the Libyan military attaché in Egypt honored the top Libyan officers graduating from the Egyptian army, navy and air force academies. Egypt supports Haftar’s Tobruk government, thus it seems logical that the 35 new pilots have joined the Libyan National Army Air Force. New photos published on Libyan Army social media now confirm that some of these cadets fly for the LNA/AF in Benina airbase.

Libyan National Army MiGs and helicopters blasted convoys attacking the Oil Crescent

On the night of Dec. 6 to 7, 2016, a convoy of around 150 vehicles left Al Jufrah in central Libya and headed toward the country’s sprawling Oil Crescent — specifically, its vital oil terminals. The various armed technicals belonged to the Saraya Defend Benghazi — also known as Benghazi Defense Brigade — an Islamist militia group that formed in June 2016 to oppose the dominant Libyan National Army and its popular leader Gen. Khalifa Haftar. The offensive came just a day after pro-government forces liberated the Islamic State stronghold of Sirte. Members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard — Ibrahim Jadhran’s own armed group — claimed to have joined the convoy, which split into two sections as it approached the Oil Crescent. Not long after, many of the vehicles were wrecked and in flames.

When Militants Attacked Libya’s Oil Region, Regime Aircraft Struck Back Hard

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).

Libyan cadets graduated in PAF Academy will join the LNA Air Force

On 8th December, Libyan cadets studying in Pakistan Air Force Academy for four years were graduated during an official ceremony. According to Libyan social media, all of them will join the Libyan National Army Air Force.

No new 'Hind' helicopter for Libyan National Army

On 29 November, photos of supposed new overhauled Mi-35 gunship helicopters located at al-Marj airbase and grounded since 1994, were shared on Libyan social media. It appeared that this information is completely wrong.

One of the supposed three new Mi-35s overhauled at al-Marj airbase (via Oded Berkowitz)

New photos acquired by Aero Histo blog confirmed that this chopper was already in service in Libyan National Army Aviation. Serial number '619' seen below was acquired in April 2015 together with two other units. Indeed, United Arab Emirates purchased three Mil Mi-35Ps (serial numbers '301', '353' and '619') from Belarus, and then delivered them to the LNA/AF on 26th in Marj airbase. On 11 August 2015, serial '301' and '353' were seen in flight in GANAB near Tobruk.

Libyan An-32P Firekiller returned to service

Photos appeared on Libyan social media confirmed that a new Antonov An-32P was overhauled by technician and engineer at Misrata airbase. This "Cline" (serial '3507', code '5A-DRE') was built in 2005 and delivered to the Libyan Air Force on 1st September of the same year. it was previously used as firekiller and was seen during LAVEX airshow in october 2007. Since this period, it was stored at Mitiga airbase near Tripoli. This aircraft is the second An-32P in service with the ex-LDAF (Libya Dawn Air Force). The first one was seen operated on 28th August 2016 during the evacuation of wounded fighters in the battle of Sirte.

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

My publication in December

In December, I publish, in collaboration with Tom Cooper, an article in DSI special issue No. 51 about the "Aerial military transport in the Syrian and Libyan civil wars" with a focus on Iranian and Russian air-bridge. En décembre, je publie, en collaboration avec Tom Cooper, un article dans le HS N°51 de DSI Magazine à propos du "Transport aérien militaire dans les guerres civiles syrienne et libyenne" avec un focus sur le pont aérien iranien et russe.

Libyan airstrikes Situation Report : 7 - 30 November 2016

On 26 November, an airstrike was performed on Kilinja checkpoint some 350 kilometres south west of the Tebu village of Rebyana, itself 150 kilometres from the desert oasis town of Kufra. Some sources claimed this bombing mission was carried out by an Emirates AT-802 aircraft but the location of the attack is too far from al-Khadim where are based the "Air Tractors". But, this strike could have been realized by one of the three Wing Loong UAV which seem to have left al-Kadhim in October for an unidentified airbase.

Fighting are tough for Iraqi helicopter pilots

Iraq’s war on Islamic State has taken a heavy toll on the Iraqi army’s helicopter crews. And the battle of Mosul that began in October 2016 has only increased the pressure on the young aviation force, which formed with American assistance in 2007.

Many of the Iraqi army’s chopper crews fly from Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan and Qayyarah airfield south of Mosul. The force suffered its latest loss on Oct. 29, 2016, when a Bell IA-407 belonging to the army’s 21 Squadron crashed in the Mukeshefah area north of Samarra.

We spoke to two pilots who’ve been fighting ISIS for more than two years.

Iraqi Army Chopper Pilot — ‘The Fighting Must Continue!’

Libyan National Army Air Force added a second 'Fitter' in its fleet

Following the seize of al-Watiya airbase in summer 2014 by the Libyan National Army (or LNA), LNA Air Force technicians and engineers started working on the refurbishing of former former Su-22s. Ten to twelve of these Su-22Ms were stored in shelters before the uprising and escaped the destruction by NATO because they were decommissioned.

LNA AF Su-22UM-3K in flight over al-Watiya AB