France 'shoots down Libyan plane'

[oberliner]

Source: BBC

French warplanes have shot down a Libyan plane in the first incident of its kind since enforcement of the UN no-fly zone began, a US official said.

The incident happened near the besieged western city of Misrata, reports said.

Dozens of coalition missiles have already hit military bases, with the aim of ending Col Muammar Gaddafi's ability to launch air attacks.

UK officials said on Wednesday that Libya's air force no longer existed as a fighting force.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12850975

[Baclava]

1. They shot down a trainer plane? No contest.

Probably unarmed.

"G-2 Galeb"




"Rafale fighter"

[atreides1]

2. A trainer

"The French Rafale fighter helping enforce a no-fly zone over Libya destroyed what was identified as a Libyan G-2/Galeb, which is a trainer aircraft, near the coastal city of Misrata.

The U.S. official said the Libyan plane may have been landing at the time of the attack. The official cautioned that details were still being confirmed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/af_libya

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. An unarmed trainer near a besieged city and it may have been landing when

attacked - sounds to me like maybe someone stole an unguarded trainer from one of Kaddafi's bases and was trying to defect to the rebels; why, otherwise, would he have been trying to land close to the besieged city?

[David__77]

4. Well they're probably dead now, so we may never know.

I guess that'll teach 'em...

[Baclava]

5. Busy day - 'Coalition bombers also struck artillery, arms depots and parked helicopters on Thursday'

For the French...

In a separate development, French fighter jets also struck an air base deep inside Libya, while NATO ships patrolled the coast to block arms and mercenaries entering the country.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/2011324145513428106.html#

[Plucketeer]

6. "Trainer planes" can carry arms too

And it's not like they sport training wheels as a badge of innocence. Further - it IS a "No-Fly Zone", not a "Some Fly Zone". Whoever was in that plane had to know the risks. Lest I sound like some warhawk, I'm not. To my way of thinking, we should have left this to the Libyans to sort out.

[Downwinder]

7. Also sometimes carry a passenger.

[pinboy3niner]

8. The opposition reports the plane was carrying an "unknown VIP"

This is what Transitional National Council representatives said at their press conference today (as reported by someone live-tweeting the presser):

there was a plane being prepaired to transport and unknown VIP through #Kufra airport, but the plane was hit by coalition forces

[Plucketeer]

10. And what part

of "NO FLY" would those occupants not comprehend? Being capable of handling such a plane, they HAD to have some comprehension that truly superior forces were lurking on high - forcdes quite likely armed with instructions to SHOOT DOWN anything that wasn't transmitting IFF code that would give it safe passage. (IFF is for: Identification - Friend or Foe). It's not like we're talking about a couple of Piper Cubs that can get close enough to where they could exchange friendly gestures visibly!

[Baclava]

14. On the lam or pilot error - - Big error - - I meant no dis-respect to the French either

The Rafale is a nice plane...and their pilots are well-trained.


(Ooooo - - I know, gasp - war porn - - - sorry, this is what you wanted, a 'no-fly zone' patrolled by killing machines)





But the MIG 35-D will take them down - don't fuck with the Russians, that's what I say

[pinboy3niner]

9. French confirm air-to-ground missile fired on Libyan plane after it landed

France has finally confirmed what ABC News tweeted about three hours ago (1.07pm). This from Reuters.

A French warplane fired an air-to-ground missile at a Libyan military plane and destroyed it just after it landed at Misrata air force base, a French armed forces spokesman said on Thursday. "The French patrol carried out an air-to-ground strike with an AASM weapon just after the plane had landed at the Misrata airbase," the spokesman said, adding that the plane, belonging to Muammar Gaddafi's military, had breached the UN-imposed no-fly zone.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/24/libya-crisis-live-updates

[Baclava]

11. Tough shitzilovich for that crew, eh? - - that's what 'no-fly' zones do.

'No-drive' zones are more problematic when the juicy targets are gone.

When they run out of tanks do they start blowing up white Toyota pick-up trucks?

[pinboy3niner]

12. They've already started striking pickup trucks (in various colors)

Both sides are using them to transport fighters and as 'technicals'--pickups mounted with anti-aircraft guns and other heavy weapons.

When coalition warplanes destroyed the huge convoy of Gaddafi forces that had attacked Benghazi, the convoy included a lot of pickups. Some media couldn't resist reporting them as "civilian vehicles"--without any mention that they were being used as military vehicles at the time.

[Baclava]

13. What you say is true - from the air, both sides will start to look the same when the tanks are gone

how far will the air attacks go?

these guys are pretty fucking brave if you ask me