The United States (US) military carried out a special mission to smuggle a Russian-made air defence missile system out of Libya last year, The Times reported on Wednesday, adding that the covert operation was undertaken due to fears that the weapon could end up in the hands of militias or smugglers in the war-torn country.
The Pantsir-S1 system includes a turret that can be loaded with up to six ready-to-fire 57E-series command-guided missiles and that also has two 30mm automatic cannons. Its integrated radar and long-range infrared tracking sensor are used to target aerial threats and the cannons can also be employed against ground targets. The missiles reportedly have a maximum range of around 20 miles and can hit targets at altitudes up to 50,000 feet, depending on the exact variant and the profile of the threat, but the system is primarily designed for low-altitude, close-in point defence.
Owned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—who purchased it from Russia—the system was reportedly given to the Libyan National Army (LNA) leader Gen. Khalifa Haftar as part of an effort to save his campaign in the country, after which it shifted hands multiple times, moving from the Libyan government’s forces to ISIS-affiliated militia leaders.
When it was finally released, it was picked up from Zuwarah International Airport, situated to the west of Tripoli, by the US Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster cargo plane and flown to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The US was reportedly looking to acquire the system in order to gather intelligence on it and to study its mechanisms and database. This was especially important following the shooting down of a US reaper drone over Libya in November 2019, which was allegedly carried out by a Pantsir system.
The Times further noted that Russia knew about the US’ mission but dismissed the idea that any valuable intelligence could be gathered from it. “A Russian official said Moscow was aware the US had removed the Pantsir system but suggested its capture would be of limited intelligence value, since the US would have the opportunity to study the same system in the UAE,” the newspaper said, adding, “Export versions, such as the one captured in Libya, are supposedly stripped of a carefully guarded identification friend or foe database with the transponder codes for all Russian air force jets.”
Though it is unclear what happened to the weapons system once it arrived in Germany, citing online flight tracking data, The Drive reported that a C-17A plane first left Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina for Ramstein in May 2020, just days after the Government of National Accord (GNA) captured the strategic Al Watiya Air Base in southwest Tripoli, driving Haftar’s troops out of the western coast of the country. That aircraft subsequently made multiple trips to and from Libya, with at least one additional apparent stop in Turkey, in the first week of June. It then returned to Charleston on June 7, 2020.
New Report Reveals That US Smuggled Russian Missile System Out of Libya Last Year
Report suggests that Russia knew about the US’ covert mission but dismissed the idea that any valuable intelligence could be gathered from it.
January 29, 2021
SOURCE: DEFENCE BLOG