Chinese-made LJ-7 air-to-surface guided missile was used in airstrikes on forces loyal to the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) over the last month, defense analyst Arnaud Delalande revealed in an investigation published by the AeroHisto blog on April 29.
The LJ-7 is the export version of the semi-active laser guided HJ-10 missile. The missile has a range of up to 7km and its warhead is capable of penetrating 1,400mm of armour. The Chinese-made CAIG Wing Loong Wing Loong unnamed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) is known to be the main carrier for this type of missiles.
#Libya – Remains of Chinese made missiles found in Tripoli points to Wing Loongs airstrikes https://t.co/ByNrCuIUXL #Tripoli #UAE #WingLoong pic.twitter.com/YSB1OSxrO2
— Arnaud Delalande (@Arn_Del) April 29, 2019
According to Delalande’s investigation, LJ-7 missiles were used in a series of airstrikes on pro-GNA forces in the towns of Wadi Rabe’, Al-Hira, al-Azizia and Ain Zara between April 17 and 21.
In April 18, Libyan sources reported that foreign UCAVs carried out airstrikes on gatherings and vehicles of GNA forces south of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Back then, the sources claimed that the French Air Force was behind the airstrikes. However, experts suggested that the UAE Air Force (UAEAF) was responsible.
The UAEAF has a large presence in the al-Khadim airbase in western Libya. A report of IHS Jane’s had revealed that the airbase is hosting six IOMAX AT-802i BPA light attack and recommission warplanes, two Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and last but not least two Wing Loong UCAVs.
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The remains of the LJ-7 missiles allowed some to speculate that UAEAF Wing Loong UCAVs were behind the mysterious airstrikes on GNA forces. However, this can’t be confirmed yet, especially that other countries involved in the Libyan war, like Egypt, are known to be operating the same type of UAVs.
The Wing Loong UAV has an interestingly long wing.
China and Russia are opposed to the US here in Libya, in Syria and Venezuela, looks like the US is fighting for survival to me, because in all those places, the US is actually losing out, not to mention a few other places as well.
I get the impression that the US seems perfectly fine with Haftar taking over too. The GNA doesn’t have many friends left.
As long as the US is selling weapons it’s happy. Reminds of when they paid Saddam to start a war with Iran, and then sold weapons to both sides.
And happily watched him hang too. The Iran contra deal was a payment for hostages as far as I can remember. Both Saddam and Gaddafi did more to bring equality and social justice [Arab style], and quality of living to the people they led than anyone else, and look where it got them.
Perhaps they’ve come to their senses and finally realized the situation here is hopeless, and are now about to do what they always do, throw their loyal friend under the bus, and just desert him and all his followers. Do you feel sorry for them, I don’t, LOL.
Yes fighting for survival by invading and pillaging other countries.
Not Venezuela yet,and it’s looking like they’re about to be booted out of here too in the near future, that’s not going to leave too many oil producing nations left that the US can dictate policy to [not that they can here anyway, the LNA has most of it]. We have Russia, Venezuela, Iran, the Saudis and other Arab League nations all opposing US interests now, and some of them even making the petro dollar more and more obsolete, which means less revenue available to the US economy. Putin’s turned the tables on the US, if the US/Israeli inspired Saudi/Qatari gas and oil pipeline had eventuated as planned, the Russian economy would have suffered massively due to a reduction in export revenue, but instead what we have now is, a Russian/Chinese inspired oil trading block that doesn’t have the US’s interests at heart, they all have an incentive to cooperate now, which is actually in the US’s worst interests, as well as all the other oil and gas consuming nations. The US chants overproduce, underprice, the new [defacto] trading block instead chants, UNDERPRODUCE, OVERPRICE. Except for China that is, and that’s because they’ve been busy investing heavily in some of those countries oil and gas infrastructure projects. “Climate change” “Global warming” LOL, That’s just the US’s geo strategic counter to what Putin and Xi have been doing, LOL. Less revenue from the petrodollar, no resource security to run the enormous US war machine, less political influence with allied countries that rely heavily on the new trading block for their resource needs, wow, that’s enough said already, so why should I even go on to mention the obvious fact, that the Chinese/Russian team just outsmarted the US and their friends at their own game, LOL.
The standard American refrain is Chinese rubbish it’s stolen American technology. They have been able to sell the myth that American weapons are superior, because the US is always at war. Since Russia started demonstrating their weapons in Syria, it has become obvious that Russian weapons are much better than American weapons, and sales have skyrocketed. China of course also wants to sell weapons so expect them to be increasingly showcased. America will get sales, simply because it can force many countries to buy American weapons.