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Africa North
FAF 1 - LAF 0
2011-03-24
French fighter jets shot down a Libyan warplane, amid allegations that forces loyal to leader Col. Muammar Qaddafi violated the country's UN-sanctioned no-fly zone.

The Libyan warplane, a Soko G-2 Galeb, was flying over Misrata prior to being shot down by the French jets, a U.S. defense official told Fox News on Thursday. The incident is believed to be the first time a Libyan jet was sent into Libyan airspace since the coalition bombing began, and the first time a warplane was shot down since the coalition began bombing Libya.
Posted by:DarthVader

#14  Oh my word, what is the world coming to?

We have the Dems in Congress sniveling over our involvement in Libya. DailyKos is having a nervous breakdown and the FREAKINGFRENCH are out there getting tone, lock and missile away on Libyan aircraft.

I wonder what PMSNBC has to say about that. I wonder what would have said if it was a US plane doing the splash on the sacrificial lamb/Libyan aircraft?
Posted by: Bill Clinton   2011-03-24 22:10  

#13  Most trainers have a dual role as ground attack.

Was landing at Misurata airport.

Could have been carrying some bigwig to supervise the ongoing fighting in that town.
Posted by: phil_b   2011-03-24 21:27  

#12  Who said a Yugo couldn't fly. Hope it wasn't one captured by the rebels.
Posted by: Retired LEO   2011-03-24 18:18  

#11  No not a good dog-fighting platform but a good air-ground attack ship. I am pretty sure the Libyan know they can't win any air-air victories, but they can bomb the bejesus out of the rebels. I saw a piece on the rebels in the news this morning and I really don't see them winning against Gadaffy. They simply don't have the equipment and personnel.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge    2011-03-24 15:19  

#10  The missle was worth more than the aircraft!!
Posted by: Total War   2011-03-24 15:19  

#9  The cutting edge of Serbo-Croatian aerospace technology, circa 1974.

Excellent, slightly obscure movie paraphrase, mojo. I can even hear Dan Akyroyd saying the line.

IMHO, the Gauls are enjoying themselves in this situation (not that that's a bad thing).
Posted by: Pollyandrew   2011-03-24 14:40  

#8   A Soko G-2 Galeb? Aircraft analogy to the Yugo auto (Auto is a stretch).
Posted by: JohnQC   2011-03-24 13:30  

#7  Soco 4-Loco.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2011-03-24 13:09  

#6  I was doing some more snooping around in Libya a couple of days ago, and found an airfield near the town of Hun (yeah, that's right). In addition to several Mig-25s, there was a squadron of TU-22 "Blinder" aircraft. Those were the ones the Russians used in Georgia that usually missed their intended target by a quarter-mile or so. I wonder if the Libyan models even fly...
Posted by: OId Patriot   2011-03-24 13:05  

#5  Odd that they should put up a Galeb. I wonder if the pilot knew he was being sacrificed. Gadaffy is probably hoping that this would cause more dissention in the coalition or garner sympathy from whoever.
Posted by: gorb   2011-03-24 12:52  

#4  That shoot down was worth several hundred million Francs(*) to the French defense contractor that makes those air-to-air missiles.

(*) Assuming the Franc again becomes the currency of France in the near future.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2011-03-24 12:43  

#3  That's not a combat aircraft, it's assisted suicide with wings.

No one claimed that Libyan military hardware was cutting edge. Hell, if it flies at all it should be considered amazing.
Posted by: DarthVader   2011-03-24 12:36  

#2  The cutting edge of Serbo-Croatian aerospace technology, circa 1974.
Posted by: mojo   2011-03-24 12:32  

#1  A Soko G-2 Galeb? That's not a combat aircraft, it's assisted suicide with wings.
Posted by: Mike   2011-03-24 11:59  

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