Libyan Air Force
The Libya Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Libyan National Army. It was established in 1951, shortly after Libya gained independence from Italy. Initially, the air force relied on a small fleet of French and British aircraft. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Libya expanded its air force by acquiring modern military aircraft from both Soviet Union and Western sources. The Libya Air Force played a significant role in several conflicts, including the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the 1980s Chadian-Libyan conflict. In recent years, the air force has faced numerous challenges due to the political instability and civil war in Libya. As a result, its capabilities have been greatly diminished, with several aircraft destroyed or abandoned. Despite these challenges, the Libya Air Force maintains a limited operational capacity, primarily focused on providing close air support and conducting airstrikes against various armed factions in the country.
Key facts
| Official Name | Libyan Air Force |
| Local Name | القوات الجوية الليبية (Al Quwwāt al Jawwiyah al Lībiyah) |
| Country | 🇱🇾 Libya |
| World rank | #60 over 160 |
| Active aircrafts | 141 as of 2025 |
| Aircrafts on order | 0 |
| Roundel |
|
Origin countries of aircrafts
| Country | Active Aircraft | |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR | 52 | |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 38 | |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 22 | |
| 🇳🇱 Ex-Yugoslavia | 12 | |
| 🇫🇷 France | 8 | |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 5 | |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 4 | |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 3 | |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1 | |
Evolution of Libyan Air Force fleet
Aircrafts by type in 2025
| Aircraft type | Active | |
|---|---|---|
Training
|
71 | |
Helicopter
|
33 | |
Combat
|
23 | |
Transport
|
14 | |
Full inventory in 2025
Libya Dawn
| Aircraft Type | Model | Origin Country | Model Year | Active | 𝚫 YoY | Ordered | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat |
MiG-25 | 🇨🇳 | 1970 | 2 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Transport |
C-130H | 🇺🇸 | 1956 | 1 | 0 |
0 |
Libyan Air Force
| Aircraft Type | Model | Origin Country | Model Year | Active | 𝚫 YoY | Ordered | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat |
MiG-21 | 🇨🇳 | 1958 | 12 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Combat |
MiG-23 | 🇨🇳 | 1970 | 4 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Combat |
Mirage F1 | 🇫🇷 | 1973 | 2 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Combat |
Su-24 | 🇨🇳 | 1973 | 2 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Combat |
Su-22 | 🇨🇳 | 1971 | 1 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Helicopter |
Mi-2 | 🇨🇳 | 1965 | 7 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Helicopter |
Mi-24/35 | 🇨🇳 | 1972 | 7 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Helicopter |
Mi-8/171 | 🇨🇳 | 1967 | 6 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Helicopter |
Mi-14 | 🇨🇳 | 1975 | 3 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Helicopter |
CH-47C | 🇺🇸 | 1962 | 2 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Helicopter |
AW139 | 🇬🇧 🇮🇹 | 2003 | 1 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Transport |
An-72 | 🇨🇳 | 1985 | 1 | -1 |
0 |
|
| Transport |
C-130H | 🇺🇸 | 1956 | 1 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Transport |
Il-76 | 🇨🇳 | 1974 | 1 | +1 |
0 |
|
| Training |
SF-260 | 🇮🇹 | 1966 | 37 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Training |
L-39 | 🇨🇿 | 1972 | 21 | +9 |
0 |
|
| Training |
G-2 | 🇳🇱 | 1965 | 12 | -2 |
0 |
Libyan National Army
| Aircraft Type | Model | Origin Country | Model Year | Active | 𝚫 YoY | Ordered | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helicopter |
H215/AS332 | 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 | 1978 | 3 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Helicopter |
SA341 | 🇫🇷 | 1971 | 3 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Helicopter |
Mi-8 | 🇨🇳 | 1967 | 1 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Transport |
An-12 | 🇺🇦 | 1959 | 3 | 0 |
0 |
|
| Transport |
Il-76 | 🇨🇳 | 1974 | 3 | +2 |
0 |
|
| Transport |
An-32 | 🇺🇦 | 1982 | 2 | +1 |
0 |
|
| Transport |
Il-18 | 🇨🇳 | 1957 | 2 | +1 |
0 |
|
| Training |
L-39 | 🇨🇿 | 1972 | 1 | 0 |
0 |
Sources: various open source data, including Wikipedia, Flightglobal.com, SIPRI Arms Transfer and official government websites.