Libya | LNA Mig-21 crashes in Benghazi during parade – VIDEO

Defence Redefined

Published on 31/05/2021 at 08:03

On May 29, a Soviet Mig-21 fighter jet crashed during a military parade in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. The pilot of the aircraft was killed in the crash. 

The Libyan National Army (LNA) parade marks the seventh anniversary of Operation Dignity, during which Benghazi was liberated from a coalition of Islamic State-linked terrorist groups. LNA leader Khalifa Haftar attended the parade when the accident happened.

According to local sources, the Libyan Mig-21 crashed a few minutes after takeoff so as to take part in the parade. According to information, the accident was caused by a technical failure.

The pilot, Brigadier General Jamal bin Amer, could not be ejected from the aircraft. He was one of the best and most experienced pilots of the Libyan Air Force (LAF). In 2018, Jamal bin Amer’s aircraft came under fire from anti-aircraft guns during an operation. However, he managed to land safely. The legendary Libyan pilot survived the crash of another Soviet aircraft in 2019.

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According to information from open sources, the fighter jet that crashed on May 29 was not in service. Recently, it rejoined the LAF after a major overhaul. Jamal bin Amer was used to flying such “dangerous” warplanes.

LAF’s capabilities have increased significantly, with the addition of several Mig-29 and Su-24 fighter jets, which are said to be supplied from Russia.

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