Gulf of Sidra incident (1981)

In the first Gulf of Sidra incident, 19 August 1981, two Libyan Su-22 Fitters fired upon two U.S. F-14 Tomcats and were subsequently shot down off the Libyan coast. Libya had claimed that the entire Gulf was their territory, at 32° 30′ N, with an exclusive 62-nautical-mile (115 km; 71 mi) fishing zone, which Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi asserted as "The Line of Death" in 1973. Two further incidents occurred in the area in 1986 and in 1989.

This article is about the 1981 incident involving Su-22s. For the 1989 incident involving MiG-23s, see Gulf of Sidra incident (1989). For other military actions in the area, see Battle of Sirte.
Gulf of Sidra incident (1981)
Part of the Cold War

A CGI recreation of Fast Eagle 107's AIM-9 Sidewinder about to hit a Libyan Su-22 over Gulf of Sidra.
Date19 August 1981
Location
Gulf of Sidra, Mediterranean Sea
Result

US Victory

  • Two Su-22s shot down
Belligerents
 United States  Libya
Commanders and leaders
Ronald Reagan Muammar Gaddafi
Strength
  • 2 Su-22s
  • GCI radar stations
Casualties and losses
None 2 aircraft destroyed
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