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{{Short description|Military air base in western Libya}}

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| website = | image_map = | image_mapsize = | image_map_alt = | image_map_caption = | pushpin_map = Libya| pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_label = al-Watiya A.B.| pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_image = | pushpin_map_caption = Location of the airport in Libya| r1-number = 10R/28L| r1-length-f = | r1-length-m = 3200| r1-surface = Asphalt| r2-number = 10L/28R| r2-length-f = | r2-length-m = 3200| r2-surface = Asphalt| metric-rwy = y| h1-number = | h1-length-f = | h1-length-m = | h1-surface = | stat1-header = | stat1-data = | stat-year = HL77}} Google MapsGoogle Map - Okba Ibn Nafa}}al-Watiya Air Base also known as Okba Ibn Nafa Air Base {{airport codes||HL77}} is a military airport in the Nuqat al Khams district of western Libya. It was named after Uqba ibn Nafi, the Islamic general who conquered North Africa. It is {{convert|27|km}} east of the Tunisian border and {{convert|125|km}} from Tripoli.NEWS, Libya's GNA recaptures strategic al-Watiya airbase,weblink 18 May 2020, Al Jazeera, 18 May 2020, NEWS, Libyan forces aligned with Tripoli government capture key air base,weblink Reuters, 18 May 2020, 22 May 2020,

2011 military intervention in Libya

The al-Watiya air force base was one of the few that escaped total destruction during the NATO-led intervention in 2011 because in its 43 hardened aircraft shelters were stored almost exclusively decommissioned aircraft, so they were not deemed a threat to coalition forces. Just several munition depots located near the airbase and only three hardened aircraft shelters were destroyed—one where the last operational pro-Gaddafi Mirage F-1BD trainer fighter jet was stationed, and two where the last two operational pro-Gaddafi Su-22M3 bombers were stationed.WEB,weblink AeroHisto - Aviation History: New Mirage F1 and Su-22 in Libyan Air Force's fleet, Arnaud, Delalande, 3 December 2015, aerohisto.blogspot.com, 10 April 2019,

Libyan Civil War (2014–2020)

The biggest setback for the pro-GNA forces happened on 9 August 2014, when pro-LNA forces captured al-Watiya air force base, where 10 to 12 decommissioned Su-22 bombers, several Mi-25 combat attack helicopters and possibly up to 21 decommissioned Mirage F-1ED fighter jets, as well as all spare parts and weapons for Mirage F-1ED and Su-22 aircraft, were stored there—this defeat crippled the pro-GNA air forces, because now they lost their main source of spare parts for maintaining their Mirage F-1ED fighter jets.WEB,weblink AeroHisto - Aviation History, aerohisto.blogspot.com, 10 April 2019, WEB,weblink AeroHisto - Aviation History: Libyan National Army Air Force added a second 'Fitter' in its fleet, Arnaud, Delalande, 28 November 2016, aerohisto.blogspot.com, 10 April 2019, WEB,weblink AeroHisto - Aviation History: Libyan Mirage F1ED crashed near Sirte, Arnaud, Delalande, 3 June 2016, aerohisto.blogspot.com, 10 April 2019, It then became an important strategic foothold for forces loyal to eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar. Using the captured equipment in al-Watiya air force base, pro-LNA forces started to bring back to active service several Su-22 bombers and Mirage F-1ED fighter jets in 2014 and 2015.

Battle of al-Watiya Airbase

In April 2019, Haftar's army launched an offensive to take Tripoli from the UN-backed Government of National Accord, during which Air Force planes loyal to the GNA attacked LNA positions.Libya's western Air Force strikes Haftar's forces positioned in Mizda, Sooq Al-Khamis. Libya Express, published 6 April 2019. On 8 April 2019, a series of airstrikes was carried out by both pro-LNA and pro-GNA air forces—pro-GNA fighter jets bombed on that day the pro-LNA al-Watiya air force base, and in response to that attack pro-LNA MiG-21 fighter jets launched from that same air force base successfully bombed the pro-GNA Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, damaging it.WEB,weblink Tripoli's only functional airport hit by air raid as clashes rage, aljazeera.com, 10 April 2019, TWEET, 1115247686737956865, aldin_ww, Aircraft in question seems to be MiG-21., 10 April 2019, 8 April 2019, WEB,weblink UN-backed Libya gov't jets strike Haftar's airbase, aa.com.tr, 10 April 2019, On 24 April 2019, a Mirage F1 was lost near al-Watiya airbase, shot down by pro-LNA forces, while pro-GNA air forces were bombing the pro-LNA al-Watiya airbase—its pilot, reportedly an Ecuadorian mercenary, ejected safely and was captured by pro-LNA forces, according to pro-LNA sources.TWEET, Arn_Del, 1120921565351305216, Finally it seems that Misrata has lost à Mirage F1 in al-Jufra area. Fate of the pilot is still unknown. Hard to know if the jet was shot down or not..weblink …, Arnaud, Delalande, 23 April 2019, twitter.com, 25 May 2019, At first, pro-LNA sources claimed it was a pro-GNA Mirage F-1AD shot down after bombing the pro-LNA forces in that area.WEB,weblink #Libya- correction: according to @LNASpox, the wreckage is of an aircraft (in fact a Mirage F-1) that was shot down after bombing al-Watiyah airbase (120km SW of #Tripoli), Oded, Berkowitz, 23 April 2019, twitter.com, 25 May 2019, However, analysis by foreign experts revealed it to be actually a Mirage F1-AD serial number 402, and initially suggested it was previously in the possession of the pro-LNA air forces, and that it was shot down by its own pro-LNA anti-air defencesweblink {{dead link|date=May 2020}} Serial number 402 was later shown to be operational; however, the LNA claim regarding the pilot of the plane and ejection seat remained unproven, and the plane was an F1AD, with the only Mirage F1 previously confirmed to be active in GNA service being an F1ED. Therefore, the original owner of the plane remains unclear.TWEET, 1121908916848349190, Arn_Del, Thanks to @Roumi_O for the video !, 25 May 2019, 26 April 2019, It was unknown whether that Mirage F-1AD that crashed at al-Watiya air force base on April 24 was shot down by pro-LNA forces, or whether it crashed due to technical problems while repelling the pro-GNA air force attack, but a consensus later emerged that (in the absence of an official refutation of the LNA's claim) the Mirage lost must have been a GNA plane.WEB,weblink Stopping the War for Tripoli, 23 May 2019, Crisis Group, 25 May 2019, TWEET, 1126843994464489472, Arn_Del, @Eljarh Definitively no, LNA/GNA have about 15 fighter jets each. LNA lost 1 MiG-21 & GNA 2 Mirage F1s.LNA has 2…, 25 May 2019, 10 May 2019, On 19 June 2019, pro-GNA forces claimed that their fighter jets bombed pro-LNA Al Watiya air force base, destroying on the runway a pro-LNA Su-22 fighter bomber just as it was taking off, however this claims remain unconfirmed by independent sources.WEB,weblink Heavy fighting in southern Tripoli as Libyan Air Force destroys Sukhoi aircraft for Haftar's forces, 19 June 2019, WEB,weblink Libyan Air Force destroys ammo, weapons and vehicles for Haftar's forces near Gharyan | The Libya Observer, libyaobserver.ly, 2020-05-27, 2023-03-21,weblink dead, On 16 April 2020, GNA forces besieged al-Watiya airbase.NEWS,weblink Besieged Airbase Shows Turkey Turning the Tide in Libya's War, Bloomberg.com, 17 April 2020, On 21 April, the LNA launched a counter-attack from al-Watiya air base, capturing the town of Al-Aqrabiya north of the air base.WEB,weblink Libia: portavoce Haftar, respinta offensiva del Gna sulla base aerea di Al Watiya, Agenzia Nova, On 5 May 2020, the GNA launched a new offensive to capture al-Watiya airbase.WEB,weblink Libya: GNA launch offensive to capture al-Watiya airbase, aljazeera.com, The GNA claimed to have successfully encircled the baseWEB,weblink Libyan army surrounds al-Watiya air base, aa.com.tr, and claimed two enemy Grad Rocket launch vehicles destroyed and various ammunition vehicles.WEB,weblink Libyan army conducts 24 air ops on al-Watiya airbase, aa.com.tr, On 18 May 2020, it was captured by forces aligned with Libya's internationally recognised government after a sustained assault, in what could be their most significant advance for nearly a year. At the base, they captured a Pantsir-S1 TLAR belonging to the Libyan National Army with minor damages and was transported by the US forces to be examined.NEWS, Sutton, H I, One Of Russia's Most Advanced Missiles Systems Captured In Libya,weblink 19 May 2020, Forbes, 19 May 2020, NEWS, Libya's GNA forces seize full control of strategic Al-Watiya airbase,weblink 18 May 2020, Libyan Express, 18 May 2020, WEB, Trevithick, Joseph, The United States Smuggled A Russian-Made Pantsir Air Defense System Out Of Libya: Report,weblink 2021-04-20, The Drive, 27 January 2021, en,

See also

• Transport in Libya
• List of airports in Libya

References

{{reflist}}

External links

• OurAirports - Okba ibn Nafa
• Okba Ibn Nafa
• AeroInside - Okba Ibn Nafa
• openAIPopenAIP - Okba Ibn Nafa
• OpenStreetMap - Okba ibn Nafa
• Flyaway Simulation

{{Airports in Libya|state=collapsed}}{{authority control}}