|
Libya
The Quest for New Sources of Arms: 1970-
After the young officers led by Qadhafi deposed the Idris regime,
it was almost inevitable that their government would look for
new sources of military equipment. One of the many causes of the
coup was the monarchy's unwillingness to involve Libya militarily
in the Arab-Israeli conflict. To have continued to rely solely
on Britain and the United States for arms would have invited domestic
and Arab criticism inasmuch as both countries were regarded as
hostile to the interests of the Arab world because of their support
for Israel. The Libyans therefore cancelled the treaty with Britain
and, in March 1970, the British evacuated their bases near Tobruk
and Benghazi. United States operational and maintenance support
of the Libyan air force ended the following June when American
personnel evacuated Wheelus Air Base. Overall American military
assistance between 1958 and 1970 had amounted to US$17.4 million
in grant aid and US$43.4 million in sales.
In 1970 the Libyan government announced that it had contracted
for the purchase of French weapons systems, notably Mirage fighters,
valued at US$400 million. Using facilities that were formerly
part of Wheelus Air Base, French instructors engaged in the training
of Libyan pilots and ground crews to operate and maintain the
Mirages. The choice of France as an alternative arms supplier
was a logical one for Libya. Not only was France increasingly
dependent upon Libyan oil supplies, but its policy toward the
Arab-Israeli dispute was acceptable to Qadhafi.
Failing in its efforts to acquire medium tanks from either France
or Britain, Qadhafi turned to the Soviet Union. Moscow had quickly
recognized the new Libyan regime and responded with equal speed
to the request for weapons. In July 1970, the first Soviet military
vehicles, including 30 medium tanks and 100 armored personnel
carriers, arrived in Libya.
Apart from France, however, during the early 1970s neighboring
Egypt had the greatest influence on Qadhafi's drive to upgrade
his defense forces. Egypt had supported the coup by positioning
Egyptian units at strategic points throughout Libya to help prevent
any attempt by royalist forces to stage a countercoup. By 1972
an estimated 2,000 Egyptian soldiers were serving in the country
as instructors. Training was also provided for both officers and
enlisted personnel at installations in Egypt. After the military
academy at Benghazi closed, a number of Libyans were trained at
the Egyptian military academy.
The October 1973 War, which drew sharp criticism from Qadhafi
over the Egyptian military effort and the willingness of President
Anwar Sadat to accept a disengagement agreement with Israel, produced
a rift between the two North African neighbors. Egypt withdrew
from Libya all Egyptian pilots and two vessels it had lent the
Libyan navy. Cooperation in air defense was also terminated as
Egypt withdrew surface-to-air missiles it had provided earlier
and halted work on the air defenses it had been developing to
protect Tripoli, Benghazi, and Tobruk.
Libya then turned to Pakistan for help. A small Pakistani advisory
contingent that had been giving training on helicopters and transport
aircraft was expanded to about 600--including 40 pilots. Small
numbers of Italian, French, and Yugoslav instructors were also
introduced for training.
Data as of 1987
|
