Ghardabiya Airbase
Ghardabiya Airbase Sirte Airport | |||||||||||||||
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 United States Department of Defense reconnaissance photo of hangars at Ghardabiya | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Sirte, Libya | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 270 ft / 82 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 31°03′38″N 16°36′42″E / 31.06056°N 16.61167°E | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  SRX Location in Libya | |||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Ghardabiya Airbase (IATA: SRX, ICAO: HLGD) is a dual-function airbase for the Libyan Air Force 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of the Mediterranean coastal city of Sirte.[4] It also incorporates an airport for civilian use.[5]
All runways have 305 metres (1,001 ft) displaced thresholds.
The Sirte non-directional beacon (Ident: SRT) is located 7.8 nautical miles (14.4 km) north of the airport, in the city. The Sirte VOR-DME (Ident: SRT) is located on the field.[6][7]
Military use
[edit]It is the home base of 1124th Bomber Squadron and 1st Fighter-Bomber Squadron which operate the Su-22 aircraft.[8] The base also operates the Aero L-39 Albatros for counterinsurgency missions.
During the first Gulf of Sidra Incident, two Libyan Su-22s took off from this airbase and attacked two U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats.
Civilian use
[edit]Due to the First Libyan Civil War of 2011, all flights were suspended; however, since the end of the conflict, Libyan Airlines has resumed service. It is unknown if Air Libya has resumed services as well.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Libyan Airlines | Tripoli–Mitiga |
First Libyan Civil War (2011)
[edit]It was targeted by United States Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers equipped with precision-guided munitions (PGMs) during the First Libyan Civil War on 20 and 21 March 2011.[9] The United States Navy also participated in the attack to deny the Libyan Air Force operational capability with the use of Tomahawk cruise missiles.[10][11]
Second Libyan Civil War (2014–2020)
[edit]In May 2015, during the Second Libyan Civil War, ISIL militants took control of the airport only weeks after seizing full control of nearby Sirte.[12] On 4 June 2016, Pro-Libyan government fighters stated that they had captured the airbase from ISIL.[13]
In January 2020, Libyan forces loyal to the eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar said they had taken control of the strategic coastal city of Sirte, including al-Ghardabiya airbase.[14]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Airport information for Ghardabiya Airbase at Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ "Sirte/Ghardabya International". SkyVector. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ "Gardabya Airport". Google Maps. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-30. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Dagher, Sam; Trofimov, Yaroslav; Hodge, Nathan (2011-03-21). "Allies Press Libya Attacks". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
- ^ "Sirte NDB". Our Airports. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ "Sirte VOR". Our Airports. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ Pike, John. "Air Order of Battle". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
- ^ Marcus, Jonathan (2011-03-21). "Who should command in Libya?". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
- ^ "With Libyan Air Defense Neutralized, Coalition Air Forces Target Libyan Ground Forces | Defense Update - Military Technology & Defense News". Archived from the original on 2011-03-25. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ "Libyan Navy Attacked by Fighter Jets - Updated". www.informationdissemination.net. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
- ^ "Islamic State militants in Libya 'seize Sirte airport'". bbc.com. BBC News. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
- ^ "Libyan brigades capture air base from Islamic State south of Sirte:..." U.S. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
- ^ "Libyan general Khalifa Haftar's forces seize key city of Sirte". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
