View source for Gulf of Sidra incident (1981)

{{Short description|Air battle between Libya and the US in the Mediterranean}}
{{About|the 1981 incident involving Su-22s|the 1989 incident involving MiG-23s|Gulf of Sidra incident (1989)|other military actions in the area|Battle of Sirte (disambiguation){{!}}Battle of Sirte}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Gulf of Sidra incident (1981)
| partof            = the [[Cold War]]
| image             = 1981 Gulf of Sidra incident. F-14 Fast Eagle 107, from VF-41 about to shoot down a Libyan Su-22 with an AIM-9 Sidewinde.png
| image_size        = 300px
| caption           = A CGI recreation of Fast Eagle 107's [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]] about to hit a Libyan [[Su-22]] over Gulf of Sidra.
| date              = 19 August 1981
| place             = [[Gulf of Sidra]], [[Mediterranean Sea]]
| result            = US Victory
*Two Su-22s shot down
| combatant1        = {{flag|United States|1960}}
| combatant2        = {{flagcountry|Libyan Arab Jamahiriya}}
| commander1        = {{flagicon|United States}} [[Ronald Reagan]]
| commander2        = {{flagicon|Libyan Arab Jamahiriya}} [[Muammar Gaddafi]]
| strength1         = {{plainlist|
* 2 [[F-14 Tomcat|F-14A Tomcats]]
* 1 E-2C Hawkeye
* 1 aircraft carrier <small>([[Nimitz Class]])</small>}}
| strength2         = {{plainlist|
* 2 Su-22s
* [[Ground-controlled interception|GCI]] radar stations}}
| casualties1       = None

| casualties2       = 2 aircraft destroyed
}}

In the first '''Gulf of Sidra incident''', 19 August 1981, two [[Libya]]n [[Sukhoi Su-17|Su-22 Fitters]] fired upon two [[United States|U.S.]] [[F-14 Tomcat]]s and were subsequently shot down off the Libyan coast. [[Libya]] had claimed that the entire [[Gulf of Sidra|Gulf]] was their territory, at 32° 30′ N, with an exclusive {{convert|62|nmi|adj=on}} fishing zone, which Libyan leader [[Muammar Gaddafi]] asserted as "The Line of Death" in 1973.<ref>{{cite web|title=Libya Maritime claims|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/libya/maritime_claims.html|publisher=Indexmundi.com|access-date=1 March 2013}}</ref> Two further incidents occurred in the area [[Action in the Gulf of Sidra (1986)|in 1986]] and [[1989 air battle near Tobruk|in 1989]].

==Background==
[[File:F-4J of VF-74 with Libyan MiG-23 over Gulf of Sidra 1981.jpg|thumb|left|A U.S. Navy McDonnell F-4J Phantom II of Fighter Squadron VF-74 "Be-Devilers" escorting a Libyan Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 over the [[Gulf of Sidra]] in August 1981.]]

In 1973, Libya claimed the [[Gulf of Sidra]] as a closed [[bay]] and part of its [[territorial waters]].<ref name="CRS">[https://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/9577.pdf "Congressional Research Service Issue Brief for Congress: Libya"]. (2002, April 10). Foreign Press Centers, U.S. Department of State, Retrieved 20 January 2012.</ref><ref name="stjohn1">St John, Ronald Bruce. (2002). ''Libya and the United States: Two Centuries of Strife''. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 125. {{ISBN|0-8122-3672-6}}.</ref><ref name="davis1">Davis, Brian L. (1990). ''Qaddafi, Terrorism, and the Origins of the U.S. Attack on Libya''. Praeger Publishers. p. 14. {{ISBN|0-275-93302-4}}.</ref> This prompted the United States to conduct [[Freedom of Navigation]] (FON) operations in the area since the claim did not meet the criteria established by [[Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone|international law]].<ref name="lehman">{{cite book|last=Lehman|first=John F.|orig-year= 1988|title=Command of the Seas|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location =Annapolis|year=2001|page=351|isbn= 978-1557505347}}</ref><ref>Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi''. Naval Institute Press. p. 29. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}.</ref> Libya often confronted U.S. forces in and near the gulf, and on two occasions its fighter jets opened fire on U.S. [[reconnaissance]] flights off the Libyan coast; once in early 1973<ref name="stjohn1"/><ref name="davis2">Davis, Brian L. (1990). ''Qaddafi, Terrorism, and the Origins of the U.S. Attack on Libya''. Praeger Publishers. p. 47. {{ISBN|0-275-93302-4}}.</ref><ref>Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi''. Naval Institute Press. p. 27. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}.</ref><ref>Beecher, William. (1973, March 23). [https://www.nytimes.com/1973/03/23/archives/us-asserts-plane-fled-libyan-jets-eavesdropping-transport-ignored-a.html?sq=U.S.%2520Asserts%2520Plane%2520Fled%2520Libyan%2520Jets&scp=1&st=cse "U.S. Asserts Plane Fled Libyan Jets: 'Eavesdropping' Transport Ignored Arabs' Signal to Land, Officials Say"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref>Finney, John W. (1973, March 25). [https://www.nytimes.com/1973/03/25/archives/trouble-again-over-the-elint-the-world-u-s-and-libya.html?sq=trouble%2520again%2520over%2520elint&scp=1&st=cse "Trouble Again Over The 'Elint'"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref> and again in late 1980.<ref name="CRS"/><ref name="davis2"/><ref name="martinwalcott1">Martin, David C. and John Walcott. (1988). ''Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism''. Harper and Row, Publishers Inc. p. 68 {{ISBN|0-06-015877-8}}.</ref><ref>Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi''. Naval Institute Press. p. 30. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}.</ref> FON operations intensified when [[Ronald Reagan]] became [[President of the United States|president]].{{citation needed|date = August 2021}}

In August 1981, Reagan authorized a large naval force led by a pair of [[U.S. Navy]] aircraft carriers, {{USS|Forrestal|CV-59|6}} and {{USS|Nimitz|CVN-68|6}}, to deploy to the disputed area.<ref>Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi''. Naval Institute Press. p. 49. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}.</ref> The two carriers had embarked a total of four [[Interceptor aircraft|interceptor]] squadrons: [[VF-74|VF-74 "Be-Devilers"]] and [[VMFA-115|VMFA-115 "Silver Eagles"]], flying [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|F-4 Phantoms]] from ''Forrestal'', and the [[VFA-41|VF-41 "Black Aces"]] and [[VFA-103|VF-84 "Jolly Rogers"]], flying F-14 Tomcats from ''Nimitz''. The [[Libyan Air Force]] responded by deploying a high number of interceptors and fighter-bombers.<ref name="Wilcox1"/><ref>Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi''. Naval Institute Press. p. 50. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}.</ref>

Early in the morning of 18 August, when the U.S. exercise began, at least three [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25|MiG-25 "Foxbats"]] approached the U.S. carrier groups and were escorted away by American interceptors. The Libyans tried to establish the exact location of the U.S. naval force. Thirty-five pairs of [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23|MiG-23 "Floggers"]], MiG-25s, Sukhoi Su-20 "Fitter-Cs", Su-22M "Fitter-Js" and [[Dassault Mirage F1|Mirage F1]]s flew into the area, and were soon intercepted by seven pairs of F-14s and F-4s.<ref name="Wilcox1">Wilcox, Robert K. (1996). ''Wings of Fury: From Vietnam to the Gulf War – The Astonishing True Stories of America's Elite Fighter Pilots''. Pocket Books. p. 10. {{ISBN|0-671-74793-2}}.</ref><ref>Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi''. Naval Institute Press. p. 50. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}.</ref> U.S. Naval Intelligence later assessed that a MiG-25 may have fired a missile from {{convert|18|mi|km}} away at U.S. fighter aircraft that day.<ref name="Wilcox2">Wilcox, Robert K. (1996). ''Wings of Fury: From Vietnam to the Gulf War – The Astonishing True Stories of America's Elite Fighter Pilots''. Pocket Books. pp. 10–11. {{ISBN|0-671-74793-2}}.</ref>

==Incident==
On the morning of 19 August, after having diverted a number of Libyan "mock" attacks on the battle group the previous day, two F-14s from VF-41 "Black Aces",<ref name="Brown">Brown, Craig. (2007). ''Debrief: A Complete History of U.S. Aerial Engagements 1981 to the Present''. Schiffer Military History. pp. 13–14. {{ISBN|978-0-7643-2785-8}}.</ref> ''Fast Eagle 102'' (CDR Henry 'Hank' Kleemann/LT David 'DJ' Venlet) (flying BuNo ''160403'')<ref name="Browndavid">Brown, David F. (1998). ''Tomcat Alley: A Photographic Roll Call of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat''. Schiffer Military History. pp. 99, 104. {{ISBN|0-7643-0477-1}}.</ref> and ''Fast Eagle 107'' (LT Lawrence 'Music' Muczynski/LTJG James 'Luca'<ref>Signed Lithograph while in VF-41 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-WpYnlo5Hk)</ref> Anderson) (in BuNo ''160390''),<ref name="Browndavid"/> were flying a [[combat air patrol]] (CAP), ostensibly to cover aircraft engaged in a missile exercise.<ref name="Wilcox3">Wilcox, Robert K. (1996). ''Wings of Fury: From Vietnam to the Gulf War – The Astonishing True Stories of America’s Elite Fighter Pilots''. Pocket Books. pp. 68–69. {{ISBN|0-671-74793-2}}.</ref> However, U.S. Navy Commander Thompson S. Sanders wrote in ''[[Air & Space/Smithsonian]]'' that his [[Lockheed S-3 Viking|S-3A Viking]]'s mission was the real precursor to this incident. Sanders was ordered to fly his Viking in a "racetrack" orbit (oval pattern) inside Gaddafi's claimed zone but outside the internationally recognized {{convert|12|mi|km|adj=on}} territorial water limit to try to provoke the Libyans to react.  An [[E-2C Hawkeye]] alerted Sanders that two Sukhoi Su-22 fighters had taken off from [[Ghardabiya|Ghurdabiyah Air Base]] near the city of [[Sirte]].<ref name="Brown2">Brown, Craig (2007). ''Debrief: A Complete History of U.S. Aerial Engagements 1981 to the Present''. Schiffer Military History. p. 15. {{ISBN|978-0-7643-2785-8}}.</ref><ref>Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Gaddafi''. Naval Institute Press. p. 52. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}.</ref>  

The Hawkeye directed the F-14s to intercept. Sanders dove to an altitude of {{convert|500|ft|m}} and flew north to evade the Libyan aircraft, an experience Sanders found stressful because the S-3A was not equipped with a [[Radar warning receiver|threat warning receiver]], nor with any countermeasures, a deficiency later remedied on the S-3B.<ref>Sanders, Thompson, [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/bait-and-switch-in-libya-94267482/ "Bait and switch"], ''Air & Space'', June/July 2012, pp. 18–19</ref>
The two F-14s set up for an intercept as the contacts headed north towards them.<ref name="Brown2"/><ref name="martinwalcott4">Martin, David C. and John Walcott. (1988). ''Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism''. Harper and Row, Publishers Inc. p. 69 {{ISBN|0-06-015877-8}}.</ref> Only a few seconds before the crossing, at an estimated distance of 300 m, one of the Libyans fired an [[Vympel K-13|AA-2 "Atoll"]] at one of the F-14s, but missed. <ref name="Brown2"/><ref name="martinwalcott4"/>  

The two Su-22s split as they flew past the Americans, the leader turning to the northwest and the wingman turning southeast in the direction of the Libyan coast.<ref name="Wilcox3"/><ref name="Brown2"/><ref name="martinwalcott5">Martin, David C. and John Walcott. (1988). ''Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism''. Harper and Row, Publishers Inc. p. 71 {{ISBN|0-06-015877-8}}.</ref> The Tomcats evaded the missile and were cleared to return fire by their rules of engagement, which mandated self-defense on the initiation of hostile action. <ref name="Brown2"/><ref>Kimmitt, Robert M. (2006, August 20). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/aug/20/20060820-104133-3139r//?page=1 "Reagan and Gadhafi"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828052911/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/aug/20/20060820-104133-3139r//?page=1 |date=2011-08-28 }}. ''The Washington Times'', Retrieved 20 January 2012.</ref> The Tomcats turned hard port and came behind the Libyan jets.<ref name="Brown2"/> The Americans fired [[AIM-9 Sidewinder|AIM-9L Sidewinders]]; the first kill was credited to ''Fast Eagle 102'', the second to ''Fast Eagle 107''.<ref name="Brown2"/><ref>Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi''. Naval Institute Press. pp. 54–55. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}.</ref> Both Libyan pilots [[Ejection seat|ejected]].{{cn|date=March 2023}}

Prior to the ejections<!--FIRST MENTION-->, a U.S. electronic surveillance plane monitoring the event recorded the lead Libyan pilot reporting to his ground controller that he had fired a missile at one of the U.S. fighters and gave no indication that the missile shot was unintended.<ref name="martinwalcott2">Martin, David C. and John Walcott. (1988). ''Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism''. Harper and Row, Publishers Inc. p. 72 {{ISBN|0-06-015877-8}}.</ref><ref>Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi''. Naval Institute Press. pp. 54, 56. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}.</ref> The official U.S. Navy report states that both Libyan pilots ejected and were safely recovered, but in the official audio recording of the incident taken from {{USS|Biddle|DLG-34|6}}, one of the F-14 pilots states that he saw a Libyan pilot eject, but his parachute failed to open.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ussbiddle.org/history/fitter_engagement_audio.html |title=USS ''Biddle'' Ship's History 1967–1993 (Audio recording from the dogfight and a short text transcript) |publisher=[[United States Navy]] |date=1981-08-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060212192336/http://www.ussbiddle.org/history/fitter_engagement_audio.html |archive-date=February 12, 2006 }}</ref>

Less than an hour later, while the Libyans were conducting a search-and-rescue operation for their downed pilots, two MiG-25s entered the airspace over the Gulf. They headed towards the U.S. carriers at [[Mach number|Mach]] 1.5 and conducted a mock attack in the direction of USS ''Nimitz''.<ref name="Wilcox8">Wilcox, Robert K. (1996). ''Wings of Fury: From Vietnam to the Gulf War – The Astonishing True Stories of America’s Elite Fighter Pilots''. Pocket Books. pp. 26–28. {{ISBN|0-671-74793-2}}.</ref> Two [[VFA-41|VF-41]] Tomcats headed towards the Libyans, which then turned around. The Tomcats turned home, but had to turn around again when the Libyans headed towards the U.S. carriers once more.<ref name="Wilcox8"/> After being tracked by the F-14s' radars, the MiGs finally headed home. One more Libyan formation ventured out into the Gulf towards the U.S. forces later that day.<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_356.shtml Libyan Wars, 1980–1989, Part 2 By Tom Cooper]  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823133218/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_356.shtml |date=August 23, 2006 }}</ref>

==Aftermath==

Fast Eagle 102 (BuNo ''160403'') is now on display at the [[Commemorative Air Force]] Museum in [[Midland, Texas|Midland]], Texas. The restored F-14 was unveiled in a ceremony in August 2016. Vice Admiral Dave Venlet cut the first tape. Fast Eagle 107 (BuNo ''160390'') was destroyed [[Kara Hultgreen|in an accident]] on 25 October 1994.{{pn|date=August 2022}}

<gallery widths="200px" heights="140px">
File:Fast Eagle 102.JPG|''Fast Eagle 102'', one of the two F-14 Tomcats on the deck of the {{USS|Nimitz}} immediately following the incident
File:F14 Reagan Library.JPG|F-14 BuNo ''162592'', painted to depict the F-14 (BuNo ''160403'') flown by Kleemann and Venlet on display at the [[Ronald Reagan Presidential Library]] in [[Simi Valley]], California
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|1980s|Libya}}
* [[1989 air battle near Tobruk]], a similar incident which occurred eight years later
* [[Hainan Island incident]], a similar incident between the U.S. and China that occurred in 2001
* ''[[Iron Eagle]]'', a 1986 film inspired by the incident.
* [[Operation El Dorado Canyon]] (1986)
* ''[[Top Gun]]'', a 1986 film whose final dogfight scene was inspired by this incident.

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.topedge.com/panels/aircraft/sites/mats/combat.htm Description of the incident]
* [http://users.accesscomm.ca/magnusfamily/sidrausa.htm Air Aces record]
* [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ly0145) U.S. Department of State Country Study of Libya], reporting that both Libyan pilots survived.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040429064317/http://www.history.navy.mil/download/pict-m11.pdf ''Naval Aviation 1911–1986: A Pictorial Study''] p.&nbsp;91
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-WpYnlo5Hk Actual Radio conversation recorded by U.S.S. ''Biddle'', Aug. 19, 1981]

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1981}}
{{coord missing|Mediterranean}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gulf Of Sidra Incident (1981)}}
[[Category:1981 in Libya]]
[[Category:1981 in the United States]]
[[Category:20th-century aircraft shootdown incidents]]
[[Category:20th-century military history of the United States]]
[[Category:Air-to-air combat operations and battles]]
[[Category:August 1981 events in Africa]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1981]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the Mediterranean Sea]]
[[Category:Battles and conflicts without fatalities]]
[[Category:Cold War military history of the United States]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1981]]
[[Category:Gulf of Sidra]]
[[Category:Libya–United States military relations]]
[[Category:Military history of Libya]]