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1989 air battle near Tobruk
1989 air battle between Libyan and US aircraft / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 4 January 1989, two Grumman F-14 Tomcats of the United States Navy shot down two Libyan-operated Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Floggers which the American aircrews believed were attempting to engage and attack them, as had happened eight years prior during the 1981 Gulf of Sidra incident. The engagement took place over the Mediterranean Sea, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Tobruk, Libya.[1]
Quick Facts Date, Location ...
1989 air battle near Tobruk | |||||||
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Part of the Cold War | |||||||
![]() Gun camera still of the lead F-14 showing the second MiG-23 exploding after being hit by an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ronald Reagan | Muammar Gaddafi | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
2 F-14A Tomcats 1 E-2 Hawkeye | 2 MiG-23s | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
None |
2 pilots missing 2 MiG-23s destroyed |
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