Report: Russian air defense system in Libya seized by US commandos
According to a report by British newspaper The Times, the operation took place in June 2020. The primary goal was to keep the system from falling into the hands of the enemy. The secondary goal was to obtain intelligence about it
Cmdr. (res.) Eyal Pinko
| 28/01/2021
By Vitaly V. Kuzmin - http://vitalykuzmin.net/?q=node/372, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18986722
A Russian Pantsir SA-22 air defense system that was acquired by the United Arab Emirates was captured in Libya and transferred to US defense-related entities at a base in Germany. The system was captured in Libya during a secret operation by an American commando unit. An American C-17 transport plane carrying the commando unit landed at an improvised airport west of Tripoli. The commando unit captured the missile-launching vehicle and brought it to the plane. No other details about the secret operation have been published.
The operation was based on specific intelligence that the UAE acquired the Russian air defense system and transferred it to the rebel organization in Libya so they could use it against the country's temporary government. The SA-22 is an advanced air defense system mounted on a truck or armored vehicle. The system includes six anti-missile missiles with a range of about 12 kilometers, a cannon, and a fire control system. The system also has electro-optical sensors and advanced radar for detection, tracking and direction of the missiles in the air.
It was not the first time for such a system to be captured during the war taking place in Libya. In May 2020, a Turkish commando force, together with a military force from the temporary government, captured the same type of system that was also purchased by the UAE for the rebel organization.
According to a report by British newspaper The Times, the operation took place in June 2020. The primary goal was to keep the system from falling into the hands of the enemy. The secondary goal was to obtain intelligence about it
By Vitaly V. Kuzmin - http://vitalykuzmin.net/?q=node/372, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18986722
A Russian Pantsir SA-22 air defense system that was acquired by the United Arab Emirates was captured in Libya and transferred to US defense-related entities at a base in Germany. The system was captured in Libya during a secret operation by an American commando unit. An American C-17 transport plane carrying the commando unit landed at an improvised airport west of Tripoli. The commando unit captured the missile-launching vehicle and brought it to the plane. No other details about the secret operation have been published.
The operation was based on specific intelligence that the UAE acquired the Russian air defense system and transferred it to the rebel organization in Libya so they could use it against the country's temporary government. The SA-22 is an advanced air defense system mounted on a truck or armored vehicle. The system includes six anti-missile missiles with a range of about 12 kilometers, a cannon, and a fire control system. The system also has electro-optical sensors and advanced radar for detection, tracking and direction of the missiles in the air.
It was not the first time for such a system to be captured during the war taking place in Libya. In May 2020, a Turkish commando force, together with a military force from the temporary government, captured the same type of system that was also purchased by the UAE for the rebel organization.
