Libyan planes downed - Department of Defense statement, Frank C. Carlucci address - transcript

US Department of State Bulletin, March, 1989

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

STATEMENT, JAN. 4, 1989

At about 5:00 a.m. EST (1000 GMT) today, two Libyan MiG-23 Flogger aircraft were shot down by two U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat aircraft operating over international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. The shootdown occurred north northeast of al-Bumbah military airfield on the northern coast of Libya.

The Navy aircraft were operating from the aircraft carrier U.S. S. John F. Kennedy, which was conducting routine operations in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the U.S. 6th Fleet.

The Libyan aircraft approached the U.S. Navy aircraft in a hostile manner over international waters, and the Navy aircraft, acting in self-defense, fired airto-air missiles, downing both Libyan aircraft. Two parachutes were observed.

SECRETARY CARLUCCI, JAN. 4, 1989

The Chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. William Crowe] and I are here to present the facts of the Libyan incident, as we understand them at this point; and let me emphasize that. These are preliminary reports, and preliminary reports are never 100% accurate. There are always changes in detail. But in the interest of getting to the American public and the world in general the information that we have, we're going to present a statement based on that information, but I urge you to take into account the fact that preliminary reports sometimes do change.

This morning at about 5:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, or 12:00 a.m. local time in the Mediterranean, two Libyan MiG-23 aircraft were shot down in self-defense by American F-14s with air-to-air missiles. Two parachutes were sighted, and a Libyan search-andrescue helicopter was later detected headed for the area. The U.S. Navy aircraft were operating from the aircraft carrier U.S.S. John F Kennedy, which was off the southwest tip of Crete and about 127 miles north of Tobruk Libya.

At the time of the incident, both the ship and its aircraft were conducting training operations in international waters. The two F-14s were providing combat air patrol approximately 50 miles south of the Kennedy, which is some 70 miles north of the northeast Libyan coast. The MiG aircraft were detected shortly after they left alBumbah at about 4:50 a.m. EST and were tracked as they closed the two F-14 aircraft. The F-14 pilots maneuvered to avoid the closing aircraft. They changed speed, altitude, and direction. The Libyan aircraft continued to close in a hostile manner At about 14 miles, the U.S. section leader decided his aircraft were in jeopardy, and they could wait no longer. One MiG-23 was shot down with a Sparrow missile. The second MiG was shot down by a Sidewinder missile at 6 miles.

These 6th Fleet ships and aircraft were operating in international waters and international airspace at the time of the incident and posed no threat to Libya. These routine operations are of the same type that have been conducted in the same area many times in the past. The 6th Fleet operations have no connection whatsoever with Libya's newly constructed chemical facility. These operations, which were conducted over 600 miles northeast of the plant, had nothing to do whatsoever with that plant. We now consider this matter closed.