Libyan Air Force aircraft warplane Galeb shot down by French fighter jets over cityi Misrata 2403113

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Defense News - The conflict in Libya
 

Thursday, March 24, 2011, 03:22 PM
 

Libyan Air Force warplane 'Galeb' shot down by French fighter jets over the city of Misrata.
 
 
Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi challenged the allies' no-fly zone for the first time today, sending up a warplane over the city of Misrata where it was quickly shot down by French fighter jets, a senior French military official said.
     
Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi challenged the allies' no-fly zone for the first time today, sending up a warplane 'Galeb' over the city of Misrata where it was quickly shot down by French fighter jets, a senior French military official said.
Libyan air force Galeb aircraft
     

The plane launched by Gadhafi was a "galeb," a single-engine military aircraft.

The coalition has had total control of the skies the last few days. Africa Command's Gen. Carter F. Ham said on Monday that no Libyan planes had flown since the start of the operations on Saturday. The Tomahawk missile strikes have effectively degraded Libyan air defenses to the point that the coalition has not even recorded any radar activity coming from Libya.

They are also on the offensive in the west. Despite international air strikes, the rebel-held cities of Misrata and Zintan continue to be attacked, and their residents are pleading for help.

Multiple explosions rocked the capital of Tripoli overnight as Gadhafi's compound was bombed for the second time in a week.