AFP March 8, 2011
Libya air force a 'modest' no-fly zone threat: general
WASHINGTON — Libya's air force would pose only a "modest" threat to international efforts to impose a no-fly zone over the war-torn north African country, the US marine corps' top general said Tuesday.
Asked at a US Senate hearing about the strength of Libya's air power, marine corps top commander General James Amos testified, "I think it's modest."
"Probably the greatest threat are their helicopter attack forces, in my assessment," he said, adding "I'm unfamiliar with the depth of their air defenses, but they have some."
Amos offered his testimony amid a raging international debate, including at the United Nations, over imposing a no-fly zone.
Libya's air force stepped up strikes on the front line Tuesday and heavy shelling was heard, as the revolt against President Moamer Kadhafi entered its third week.
Britain and France have been drawing up a UN draft resolution on a no-fly zone. No formal proposition has yet been made but talks are going on behind the scenes between the council members, diplomats said.
At the hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, US Senator John McCain noted that most of Libya's air arsenal consists of "Soviet-style somewhat older versions of surface to air missile capability... concentrated in about four air bases right around Tripoli."
Libya has around 100 SA-2 anti-aircraft missiles designed in the 1950s and another 70 SA-6 missiles which are more recent, according to the Globalsecurity.org website.
Libya has around 300 warplanes, mostly Russian-made MIG-23s and MIG-25s, around half of which are not operational, according the security website.
But US officials and analysts say a proposed no-fly zone over Libya would have numerous logistical obstacles and offers no guarantee of achieving the goal of halting government attacks.
Analysts also note that Libya is four times the size of Iraq, even if the population is concentrated along the coast. Any enforcement would require the use of AWACS radar aircraft, refueling tankers and warplanes to block radar and communications of Libyan aircraft.
Helicopters and rescue crews would also be needed to recover any pilots lost over the North African country.
And Amos said that the robustness of Libya's air assets is only one factor to keep in mind when weighing the feasibility of a no-fly zone.
"There are several things that give the enemy an enormous advantage," he said.
"One is the ground movement of forces, vehicles, military on the ground. It's a very complex environment where the Kadhafi forces are predominantly located. I think it's more than just aviation -- it's very complex," the general said.
© Copyright 2011, AFP
