The Libyan Air Force will soon host the second international Libyan Aviation Expo at Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli.
The up-and-coming event has already attracted major attention from international Aviation Companies from all over the world. LAVEX 2007 will no doubt be one of the largest aviation exhibitions ever to be hosted by an African nation. The hosting of an event of this calibre is a good indicator that Libya has come a long way from its infamous history.
Libyan Air Force History.
Before the Libyan monarchy was abolished in 1969, Libya was a pro – western nation, having been declared independent only a few years earlier. The country’s oil reserve significantly increased its wealth status, ensuring that the country’s higher-class individuals were living rich lives. It was this state of affairs that prompted Muammar Abu Minyar al – Gaddafi and his troop of revolutionary officers to depose King Idris, abolishing the Libyan monarchy and proclaiming the Libyan Arab Republic.
The Libyan Air Force had been in a sad state of affairs before the United States extracted from the country in 1970. At the time of the overthrow, the Air Force was at personnel strength of only about 400. Pilots, instructors and technical personnel from other countries were also reportedly involved. An ex- U.S air force base, about 7 miles from Tripoli, became a Libyan installation after U.S forced had left the country, and was re-named Okba Ben Nafi air base, which soon housed the Air force’s headquarters, as well as a large segment of it’s training facilities. Since that period, the Libyan Air Force had grown significantly thanks to a recruitment drive undertaken in 1970. It was estimated that Libyan strength had grown to 10,000 by 1986. At present, the Libyan Air Force employs 22 000 personnel, in addition to 1500 conscripts.
Large portions of Libya’s procurement efforts were spent on the growing air force’s inventory of aircraft. Large amounts of aircraft were acquired from 1969, a large portion of which was American built transports and helicopters. However, the delivery of such aircraft was stopped in 1975. In addition to the latter, a large amount of Soviet built fighters and bombers were acquired between 1969 and 1990, including 25 MiG 21bis’, 125 MiG 23 Floggers, 40 SU-22 Fitters and 12 SU-24MK Fencers. French Mirage F-1’s and Mirage 5’s were also acquired, with the F1’s about to be upgraded by French company, SOFEMA. The Libyan Air Force was organised into one medium bomber squadron, five ground attack squadrons, three fighter interceptor squadrons, nine helicopter squadrons, one counterinsurgency squadron and three air defence brigades. In addition to Libya’s aircraft, the country also employs a vast inventory of air defence units, using systems ranging from the AT-2, SA-2, SA-9, and a range of MANPAD units.
LAVEX 2007.
This year sees the second consecutive Libyan Aviation Expo take place in Tripoli between the 29th and 31st of October. LAVEX is the largest aerospace exhibition in North Africa, with the organising committee consisting of the Libyan Air Force, the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority, the Air Transportation Workers Union and Waha Expo. The event is expected to attract most of the world’s heavy weights such as Airbus, Boeing, Agusta Westland, Cessna, Dassault and Pilatus.
The main goal of LAVEX is to assist African governments improve their air power capabilities in order to keep up with international standards and regulations with the help of international companies. It is hoped that these companies will assist Libya and other African nations in developing their services by providing technology, expertise and equipment to improve air safety, security and service quality while at the same time maximising operational revenue. It is estimated that that Libya has invested more that 2 billion U.S dollars in their strategic plan for airport development.
This article was produced by Aviation Dimension in partnership with African Armed Forces Journal, and will be available for free viewing on www.aviationdimension.com after publication.
To obtain more information regarding press passes, detailed information on the events, press
Conferences and press coverage of the event please contact the international marketing agency for LAVEX 2007.
