Libyan Airforce Mirage jets defect to Malta

[TobyParr]

Those are the only 2 they have insant it???????. :).

[bugibbab0y]

Believe me and that Britain would never allow anyone to attack Malta because Malta is a part of the commowealth and still much admired by Britain.

[AdrianNtart]

@bugibbab0y WELL SAID!

[MyGodGamer]

Were Maltese were not scared

[johnnTCG]

0 dislikes :D you like so much deadly weapons !

[gawobryt]

I wish somebody would grab up on an experienced artillery man and a couple of mortars. They know right where he is. Is it not that simple? Maybe I'm just being ignorant.

[gawobryt]

So what do you think happens to the aircraft? Not trying to be flippant, I was just wondering.

[segregator236]

They should not have defected.

Instead, they should have bombed Gaddafi's house for the sake of their country and people.

Then their country would be back in order and no one else will die

[1999sebring]

@segregator236 Why is it so wrong to use planes against a revolution??? I mean is he just supposed to step down?? did lincon step down no he fought why is everyone a war criminal these days if they dont do what the UN says fuck the UN

[LastWaltz123]

@1999sebring Because we are not talking about a revoloution in a country like America or the UK where the people have a say in the running of their country, Gadaffi has been in control FAR too long. Those people are fighting for their simple human rights man!

[1999sebring]

@LastWaltz123 We know Gadaffi we don't know who would replace him if he fell from power what would stop a taliban like regime from taking power?? We're better off with Gadaffi in power if I was a leader and my people rebeled against me I would give them an iron fist like Saddam did

[LastWaltz123]

@1999sebring Well that shows what sort of person you are doesn't it? Gadaffi is a total nut case, a strung out, delusional character who seems to have absolutely no hold on the world around him. In this world the opinion of the population of a country, when fighting for human rights against a tyrant, means (or should mean) so much more than one man's sad, sad attempt to cling to the seat of power.

[TheEmpireStartsHere]

I sense trouble !!!!! I live in malta ...... and 2 Battle ships coming to malta ... War will be soon andits going to get ugly

[sergheiadrian]

Those two pilots became heroes just by refusing to follow orders.

A very nice gesture on their part by the way.

[fishb3d]

Those pilots are heroes.

[dmurphy04]

Heros.

[uneame]

Those realy nice Mirage F1E (all-weather multi-role fighter and ground-attack aircraft) have under each wings two pylons, one has a rocket pods, the other is free. OC, the rockets were supposed to be send on Lybian nationals. I wonder what were the other ones supposed to support ?

[SuperAhmed1337]

@uneame

Look closely, they have two pylons per wing, making a total of four pylons. The outter pylons each carry a rocket pod for 18 68mm unguided rockets, the inner pods show weapon clamps, very likely for smaller bombs, maybe 250 pounders. The pilots might have decided to jettison (drop) their rockets into the ocean before landing. This is very common, because landing with bombs is dangerous.

Looks like a general air-to-ground loadout, very nasty.

[G777GUN]

@SuperAhmed1337

Or maybe the Malta airforce took em off, or they dropped them in the sea so that Malta wouldnt get them. You never know.

[bullseatpizza]

@SuperAhmed1337

To be honest mate, thats excatly what i would have thought although landing with bombs is not dangerous. Its landing with them with that sort of weaponry into another country. Your asking to either be engaged upon or intercepted and possibly escorted out of the airspace.And of course its going to be an air to ground loadout for a 'bombing', it wont be an air to air will it? I think that these pilots did the correct thing. I for one couldnt have done this on my own country men.

[SuperAhmed1337]

@bullseatpizza

Landing with bombs is dangerous. It is difficult to land a heavy aircraft. The safeties might be off. Crash-landing with bombs is terrible. You also dump your fuel prior to landing for the same reason.

The loadout matters, since we don't know much. They could have been on a CAP. Normally, planes don't fly around with air to ground weapons unless they need them for their mission. Their loadout tells us that their story is very likely true. And that's just terrible.

[bullseatpizza]

@SuperAhmed1337

You can set up your aircraft to handle and cope with the stress. You physically have to arm the bombs/missiles and there not armed for landing or takeoff and only armed when needed. And yeah i agree with you there but dumping fuel is only neccesary when landing 'Heavy'

And yeah set aside our difference on this matter, i do agree with you. To do such a terrible act, i wouldnt do it and i dont think many people would have it in them to do it either. Thier job or hundreds dead?

[SuperAhmed1337]

@bullseatpizza

We're talking Mirage F1 here, Libyan Air Force. They are probably not all that well maintained, I wouldn't want to land that piece with bombs on.

And again, bombs can go off if you crash-land. No matter if armed or not. The ground safeties surely were off.

[mattmatt115]

@SuperAhmed1337 LOL looks to me like like escorts for the swath of helicopters of defecting Libyan personell Afterall, dont you think the Libya Airforce would have intentions to shoot down those helicopters full of people trying to overthrow the government?

I could go into much more detail, but this was one of the main propaganda tools to launch this war, along with that Mig-23 INTERCEPTOR shot down that was apparently used against civilians (why not use Hinds to get it done properly)

[USB740]

@mattmatt115 A few Mi-24 have already been shot down by the rebels. They realized that they were loosing attack helicopters at a certain rate, that it would be an exercise in futility to continue to employ them against the Rebels. I'm guessing that Qasafi's new strategy is to preserve as much of his airforce as possible by sheltering/hiding or burying his jets (like the Iraqis did). And the no-fly zone (the presence of technologicaly superior jets) is also a very strong deterence!

[mattmatt115]

@USB740 Please provide evidence, or a link to evidence of one or more being shot down. And if there is such evidence, it does not mean they were used against civilians anyway, because they are not solely attack helicopters but also troop transport

[USB740]

@mattmatt115 I cant, they are unconfirmed sources. Also, it's important to remember that the Libyan air force is propped up with Mercenaries, the Mi-35s are likely piloted by Russians - and maybe they don't like Qazafi. His closest officers and other high ranking military are defecting en masse. Why would a Russian risk his life to defend Qazafi or obey orders to kill innocent people (peaceful protesters)?

[USB740]

@mattmatt115 type in Google: the boresight libyan conflict fixed-wing combat aircraft

[mattmatt115]

@USB740 Even there i see no evidence. Only Mi24 destroyed on the ground. What are you talking about still? I dont understand, please clarify

[USB740]

@mattmatt115 All of this was in response to comments that you posted in another video, titled "Libyan Air Force)", you questioned why they use Mirage Interceptors to attack civilians instead of using Hind attack helicopters. I saw those comments after i saw your reply to SuperAhmed1337, and posted my first comment on this video, otherwise i would have posted them there instead of here.

[mattmatt115]

@USB740 Its all good man, im not attack you in any way or belittling you. Dont take offense please

[USB740]

@mattmatt115 I know you like to try, but you need to read the blogspot before replying back :) Mi-24s have been shot down.

[mattmatt115]

@USB740 Very sad nobody thought to take out those propaganda cameras when the Mi24s were shooting the place up... You'd think, with all those hundreds of savvy Libyan opportunists running around with cell phone cameras, there would be at least ONE video of a Hind in action against all those unnarmed innocent peaceful protestors..... *eye roll* i guess not in this day and age, oh well. I suppose i will blindly take a blog as 150% truth. More truthful than the lack of evidence.

Its all good.

[AdrianNtart]

@uneame No actually its F.1ED! ;)

[kmmons]

If Libyan airforce is attacking Libyan protestors on the ground, Eyptian and Tunisians airforce should unite and shoot down and neutralise Libyan airforce, their bases and chase the beasts out of their hideouts.

That is what I call Islamic solidarity.

[ObsidionX]

muwx al xi haga ta xD

ima qedijn naqa sew tefawom qudijm l hanger tal Lufthansa - mijn jaf gaddafi jibatx xij 2 bijx jibbubardjaw talij tradew ? Jekk il piloti ma jriduwx jaqq imoruw luwra l Libja ax jafu li jiguw maqtuwla ,

nhsb jin gaddafi andu mohh li jista jahseb li jistaw jinuzaw kontrijh :')

xD

[Wonkabar007]

Must be exciting being a spotter in Malta at the moment, who knows what will fly in from Libya next ?

[ivlfounder]

@Wonkabar007

I suspect the next craft to land will have dropped some "gifts" on gaddafi.

[nicolai953]

@Wonkabar007 I am a spotter in Malta, and it is exciting to have these mirages land here. but when you think about it again, you realize that we could be in some trouble if gadhafi decides to do something about it

[joseffritzlismydaddy]

@nicolai953 Ghaddafi has more than enough his hands at the moment to be worried about these two. All of Libya wants his blood shed.

[Wonkabar007]

@nicolai953 Maybe they could take part in the Malta international Airshow 2011.

[nicolai953]

@Wonkabar007 that would be great for sure :)

[amanda17505]

@Wonkabar007 are you maltese?

[Wonkabar007]

@amanda17505 No, but things will get exciting in Malta if a no fly zone is started.

[amanda17505]

@Wonkabar007 i live in malta and am a bit scared

[HelpCannel111]

Mijej gejj dawraa? :)

[HelpCannel111]

@HelpCannel111 Minn*