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id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf of Sidra incident (1981)</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 13 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-13" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">13 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AB%D8%A9_%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC_%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AA_(1981)" title="حادثة خليج سرت (1981) – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="حادثة خليج سرت (1981)" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82_%D0%B2_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B0_%D0%A1%D0%B8%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B0_(1981)" title="Инцидент в залива Сидра (1981) – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Инцидент в залива Сидра (1981)" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Store_Syrte-episoden_(1981)" title="Store Syrte-episoden (1981) – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Store Syrte-episoden (1981)" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidente_del_Golfo_de_Sirte_(1981)" title="Incidente del Golfo de Sirte (1981) – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Incidente del Golfo de Sirte (1981)" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incident_du_golfe_de_Syrte_(1981)" title="Incident du golfe de Syrte (1981) – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Incident du golfe de Syrte (1981)" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incident_u_zaljevu_Sidre_1981." title="Incident u zaljevu Sidre 1981. – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Incident u zaljevu Sidre 1981." data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insiden_Teluk_Sidra_(1981)" title="Insiden Teluk Sidra (1981) – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Insiden Teluk Sidra (1981)" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primo_scontro_aereo_del_golfo_della_Sirte" title="Primo scontro aereo del golfo della Sirte – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Primo scontro aereo del golfo della Sirte" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B7%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E6%B9%BE%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6_(1981%E5%B9%B4)" title="シドラ湾事件 (1981年) – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="シドラ湾事件 (1981年)" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidente_no_Golfo_de_Sidra_(1981)" title="Incidente no Golfo de Sidra (1981) – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Incidente no Golfo de Sidra (1981)" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82_%D0%B2_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B5_%D0%A1%D0%B8%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B0_(1981)" title="Инцидент в заливе Сидра (1981) – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Инцидент в заливе Сидра (1981)" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrtinlahden_v%C3%A4likohtaus" title="Syrtinlahden välikohtaus – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Syrtinlahden välikohtaus" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%94%A1%E5%BE%B7%E6%8B%89%E6%B9%BE%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6_(1981%E5%B9%B4)" title="锡德拉湾事件 (1981年) – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="锡德拉湾事件 (1981年)" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q2604253#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit 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<div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Air battle between Libya and the US in the Mediterranean</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">This article is about the 1981 incident involving Su-22s. For the 1989 incident involving MiG-23s, see <a href="/wiki/Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1989)" class="mw-redirect" title="Gulf of Sidra incident (1989)">Gulf of Sidra incident (1989)</a>. For other military actions in the area, see <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Sirte_(disambiguation)" class="mw-redirect mw-disambig" title="Battle of Sirte (disambiguation)">Battle of Sirte</a>.</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r963460841">@media all and (min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .desktop-float-right{box-sizing:border-box;float:right;clear:right}}.mw-parser-output .infobox.vevent .status>p:first-child{margin:0}</style><table class="infobox vevent" style="width:25.5em;border-spacing:2px;"><tbody><tr><th class="summary" colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Gulf of Sidra incident (1981)</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;">Part of the <a href="/wiki/Cold_War" title="Cold War">Cold War</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa;line-height:1.5em;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File: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" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/1981_Gulf_of_Sidra_incident._F-14_Fast_Eagle_107%2C_from_VF-41_about_to_shoot_down_a_Libyan_Su-22_with_an_AIM-9_Sidewinde.png/300px-1981_Gulf_of_Sidra_incident._F-14_Fast_Eagle_107%2C_from_VF-41_about_to_shoot_down_a_Libyan_Su-22_with_an_AIM-9_Sidewinde.png" decoding="async" width="300" height="254" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/1981_Gulf_of_Sidra_incident._F-14_Fast_Eagle_107%2C_from_VF-41_about_to_shoot_down_a_Libyan_Su-22_with_an_AIM-9_Sidewinde.png/450px-1981_Gulf_of_Sidra_incident._F-14_Fast_Eagle_107%2C_from_VF-41_about_to_shoot_down_a_Libyan_Su-22_with_an_AIM-9_Sidewinde.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/1981_Gulf_of_Sidra_incident._F-14_Fast_Eagle_107%2C_from_VF-41_about_to_shoot_down_a_Libyan_Su-22_with_an_AIM-9_Sidewinde.png/600px-1981_Gulf_of_Sidra_incident._F-14_Fast_Eagle_107%2C_from_VF-41_about_to_shoot_down_a_Libyan_Su-22_with_an_AIM-9_Sidewinde.png 2x" data-file-width="864" data-file-height="732" /></a></span><br />A CGI recreation of Fast Eagle 107's <a href="/wiki/AIM-9_Sidewinder" title="AIM-9 Sidewinder">AIM-9 Sidewinder</a> about to hit a Libyan <a href="/wiki/Su-22" class="mw-redirect" title="Su-22">Su-22</a> over Gulf of Sidra.</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><table style="width:100%;margin:0;padding:0;border:0;display:inline-table"><tbody><tr><th style="padding-right:1em">Date</th><td>19 August 1981</td></tr><tr><th style="padding-right:1em">Location</th><td><div class="location"><a href="/wiki/Gulf_of_Sidra" title="Gulf of Sidra">Gulf of Sidra</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea" title="Mediterranean Sea">Mediterranean Sea</a></div></td></tr><tr><th style="padding-right:1em">Result</th><td class="status"> <p>US Victory </p> <ul><li>Two Su-22s shot down</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Belligerents</th></tr><tr><td style="width:50%;border-right:1px dotted #aaa;"> <span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Flag_of_the_United_States_%28Pantone%29.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States_%28Pantone%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Flag_of_the_United_States_%28Pantone%29.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_United_States_%28Pantone%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Flag_of_the_United_States_%28Pantone%29.svg/46px-Flag_of_the_United_States_%28Pantone%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1235" data-file-height="650" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a></td><td style="width:50%;padding-left:0.25em"> <span data-sort-value="Libya"><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg/23px-Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg/35px-Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg/46px-Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="500" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Libyan_Arab_Jamahiriya" class="mw-redirect" title="Libyan Arab Jamahiriya">Libya</a></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Commanders and leaders</th></tr><tr><td style="width:50%;border-right:1px dotted #aaa;"> <span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States"><img alt="United States" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/46px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1235" data-file-height="650" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Ronald_Reagan" title="Ronald Reagan">Ronald Reagan</a></td><td style="width:50%;padding-left:0.25em"> <span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Libyan_Arab_Jamahiriya" title="Libyan Arab Jamahiriya"><img alt="Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg/23px-Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg/35px-Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg/46px-Flag_of_Libya_%281977%E2%80%932011%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="500" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Muammar_Gaddafi" title="Muammar Gaddafi">Muammar Gaddafi</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Strength</th></tr><tr><td style="width:50%;border-right:1px dotted #aaa;"> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><div class="plainlist"> <ul><li>2 <a href="/wiki/F-14_Tomcat" class="mw-redirect" title="F-14 Tomcat">F-14A Tomcats</a></li> <li>1 E-2C Hawkeye</li> <li>1 aircraft carrier <small>(<a href="/wiki/Nimitz_Class" class="mw-redirect" title="Nimitz Class">Nimitz Class</a>)</small></li></ul> </div></td><td style="width:50%;padding-left:0.25em"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"> <ul><li>2 Su-22s</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ground-controlled_interception" title="Ground-controlled interception">GCI</a> radar stations</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Casualties and losses</th></tr><tr><td style="width:50%;border-right:1px dotted #aaa;"> None</td><td style="width:50%;padding-left:0.25em"> 2 aircraft destroyed</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>In the first <b>Gulf of Sidra incident</b>, 19 August 1981, two <a href="/wiki/Libya" title="Libya">Libyan</a> <a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-17" title="Sukhoi Su-17">Su-22 Fitters</a> fired upon two <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">U.S.</a> <a href="/wiki/F-14_Tomcat" class="mw-redirect" title="F-14 Tomcat">F-14 Tomcats</a> and were subsequently shot down off the Libyan coast. <a href="/wiki/Libya" title="Libya">Libya</a> had claimed that the entire <a href="/wiki/Gulf_of_Sidra" title="Gulf of Sidra">Gulf</a> was their territory, at 32° 30′ N, with an exclusive 62-nautical-mile (115 km; 71 mi) fishing zone, which Libyan leader <a href="/wiki/Muammar_Gaddafi" title="Muammar Gaddafi">Muammar Gaddafi</a> asserted as "The Line of Death" in 1973.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Two further incidents occurred in the area <a href="/wiki/Action_in_the_Gulf_of_Sidra_(1986)" title="Action in the Gulf of Sidra (1986)">in 1986</a> and <a href="/wiki/1989_air_battle_near_Tobruk" title="1989 air battle near Tobruk">in 1989</a>. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Background">Background</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1981)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Background"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:F-4J_of_VF-74_with_Libyan_MiG-23_over_Gulf_of_Sidra_1981.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/F-4J_of_VF-74_with_Libyan_MiG-23_over_Gulf_of_Sidra_1981.jpg/220px-F-4J_of_VF-74_with_Libyan_MiG-23_over_Gulf_of_Sidra_1981.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/F-4J_of_VF-74_with_Libyan_MiG-23_over_Gulf_of_Sidra_1981.jpg/330px-F-4J_of_VF-74_with_Libyan_MiG-23_over_Gulf_of_Sidra_1981.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/F-4J_of_VF-74_with_Libyan_MiG-23_over_Gulf_of_Sidra_1981.jpg/440px-F-4J_of_VF-74_with_Libyan_MiG-23_over_Gulf_of_Sidra_1981.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1583" data-file-height="1186" /></a><figcaption>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 <a href="/wiki/Gulf_of_Sidra" title="Gulf of Sidra">Gulf of Sidra</a> in August 1981.</figcaption></figure> <p>In 1973, Libya claimed the <a href="/wiki/Gulf_of_Sidra" title="Gulf of Sidra">Gulf of Sidra</a> as a closed <a href="/wiki/Bay" title="Bay">bay</a> and part of its <a href="/wiki/Territorial_waters" title="Territorial waters">territorial waters</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-CRS_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-stjohn1_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-stjohn1-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-davis1_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-davis1-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This prompted the United States to conduct <a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_Navigation" class="mw-redirect" title="Freedom of Navigation">Freedom of Navigation</a> (FON) operations in the area since the claim did not meet the criteria established by <a href="/wiki/Convention_on_the_Territorial_Sea_and_Contiguous_Zone" class="mw-redirect" title="Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone">international law</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-lehman_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-lehman-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Libya often confronted U.S. forces in and near the gulf, and on two occasions its fighter jets opened fire on U.S. <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance" title="Reconnaissance">reconnaissance</a> flights off the Libyan coast; once in early 1973<sup id="cite_ref-stjohn1_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-stjohn1-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-davis2_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-davis2-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and again in late 1980.<sup id="cite_ref-CRS_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-davis2_7-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-davis2-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-martinwalcott1_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-martinwalcott1-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> FON operations intensified when <a href="/wiki/Ronald_Reagan" title="Ronald Reagan">Ronald Reagan</a> became <a href="/wiki/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States">president</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>In August 1981, Reagan authorized a large naval force led by a pair of <a href="/wiki/U.S._Navy" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Navy">U.S. Navy</a> aircraft carriers, <a href="/wiki/USS_Forrestal" title="USS Forrestal">USS <i>Forrestal</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/USS_Nimitz" title="USS Nimitz">USS <i>Nimitz</i></a>, to deploy to the disputed area.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The two carriers had embarked a total of four <a href="/wiki/Interceptor_aircraft" title="Interceptor aircraft">interceptor</a> squadrons: <a href="/wiki/VF-74" title="VF-74">VF-74 "Be-Devilers"</a> and <a href="/wiki/VMFA-115" title="VMFA-115">VMFA-115 "Silver Eagles"</a>, flying <a href="/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II" title="McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II">F-4 Phantoms</a> from <i>Forrestal</i>, and the <a href="/wiki/VFA-41" title="VFA-41">VF-41 "Black Aces"</a> and <a href="/wiki/VFA-103" title="VFA-103">VF-84 "Jolly Rogers"</a>, flying F-14 Tomcats from <i>Nimitz</i>. The <a href="/wiki/Libyan_Air_Force" title="Libyan Air Force">Libyan Air Force</a> responded by deploying a high number of interceptors and fighter-bombers.<sup id="cite_ref-Wilcox1_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wilcox1-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Early in the morning of 18 August, when the U.S. exercise began, at least three <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-25" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25">MiG-25 "Foxbats"</a> 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 <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-23" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23">MiG-23 "Floggers"</a>, MiG-25s, Sukhoi Su-20 "Fitter-Cs", Su-22M "Fitter-Js" and <a href="/wiki/Dassault_Mirage_F1" title="Dassault Mirage F1">Mirage F1s</a> flew into the area, and were soon intercepted by seven pairs of F-14s and F-4s.<sup id="cite_ref-Wilcox1_14-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wilcox1-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> U.S. Naval Intelligence later assessed that a MiG-25 may have fired a missile from 18 miles (29 km) away at U.S. fighter aircraft that day.<sup id="cite_ref-Wilcox2_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wilcox2-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Incident">Incident</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1981)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Incident"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>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",<sup id="cite_ref-Brown_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Brown-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i>Fast Eagle 102</i> (CDR Henry 'Hank' Kleemann/LT David 'DJ' Venlet) (flying BuNo <i>160403</i>)<sup id="cite_ref-Browndavid_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Browndavid-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and <i>Fast Eagle 107</i> (LT Lawrence 'Music' Muczynski/LTJG James 'Luca'<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Anderson) (in BuNo <i>160390</i>),<sup id="cite_ref-Browndavid_19-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Browndavid-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> were flying a <a href="/wiki/Combat_air_patrol" title="Combat air patrol">combat air patrol</a> (CAP), ostensibly to cover aircraft engaged in a missile exercise.<sup id="cite_ref-Wilcox3_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wilcox3-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, U.S. Navy Commander Thompson S. Sanders wrote in <i><a href="/wiki/Air_%26_Space/Smithsonian" title="Air & Space/Smithsonian">Air & Space/Smithsonian</a></i> that his <a href="/wiki/Lockheed_S-3_Viking" title="Lockheed S-3 Viking">S-3A Viking</a>'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 12-mile (19 km) territorial water limit to try to provoke the Libyans to react. An <a href="/wiki/E-2C_Hawkeye" class="mw-redirect" title="E-2C Hawkeye">E-2C Hawkeye</a> alerted Sanders that two Sukhoi Su-22 fighters had taken off from <a href="/wiki/Ghardabiya" class="mw-redirect" title="Ghardabiya">Ghurdabiyah Air Base</a> near the city of <a href="/wiki/Sirte" title="Sirte">Sirte</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Brown2_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Brown2-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Hawkeye directed the F-14s to intercept. Sanders dove to an altitude of 500 feet (150 m) and flew north to evade the Libyan aircraft, an experience Sanders found stressful because the S-3A was not equipped with a <a href="/wiki/Radar_warning_receiver" title="Radar warning receiver">threat warning receiver</a>, nor with any countermeasures, a deficiency later remedied on the S-3B.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The two F-14s set up for an intercept as the contacts headed north towards them.<sup id="cite_ref-Brown2_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Brown2-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-martinwalcott4_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-martinwalcott4-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Only a few seconds before the crossing, at an estimated distance of 300 m, one of the Libyans fired an <a href="/wiki/Vympel_K-13" class="mw-redirect" title="Vympel K-13">AA-2 "Atoll"</a> at one of the F-14s, but missed. <sup id="cite_ref-Brown2_22-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Brown2-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-martinwalcott4_25-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-martinwalcott4-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>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.<sup id="cite_ref-Wilcox3_21-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wilcox3-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Brown2_22-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Brown2-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-martinwalcott5_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-martinwalcott5-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> 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. <sup id="cite_ref-Brown2_22-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Brown2-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Tomcats turned hard port and came behind the Libyan jets.<sup id="cite_ref-Brown2_22-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Brown2-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Americans fired <a href="/wiki/AIM-9_Sidewinder" title="AIM-9 Sidewinder">AIM-9L Sidewinders</a>; the first kill was credited to <i>Fast Eagle 102</i>, the second to <i>Fast Eagle 107</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-Brown2_22-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Brown2-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Both Libyan pilots <a href="/wiki/Ejection_seat" title="Ejection seat">ejected</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (March 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Prior to the ejections, 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.<sup id="cite_ref-martinwalcott2_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-martinwalcott2-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> 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 <a href="/wiki/USS_Biddle_(CG-34)" title="USS Biddle (CG-34)">USS <i>Biddle</i></a>, one of the F-14 pilots states that he saw a Libyan pilot eject, but his parachute failed to open.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>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 <a href="/wiki/Mach_number" title="Mach number">Mach</a> 1.5 and conducted a mock attack in the direction of USS <i>Nimitz</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-Wilcox8_32-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wilcox8-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Two <a href="/wiki/VFA-41" title="VFA-41">VF-41</a> 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Wilcox8_32-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wilcox8-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> 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.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Aftermath">Aftermath</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1981)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Aftermath"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Fast Eagle 102 (BuNo <i>160403</i>) is now on display at the <a href="/wiki/Commemorative_Air_Force" title="Commemorative Air Force">Commemorative Air Force</a> Museum in <a href="/wiki/Midland,_Texas" title="Midland, Texas">Midland</a>, 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 <i>160390</i>) was destroyed <a href="/wiki/Kara_Hultgreen" title="Kara Hultgreen">in an accident</a> on 25 October 1994.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This citation requires a reference to the specific page or range of pages in which the material appears. (August 2022)">page needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <ul class="gallery mw-gallery-traditional"> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 170px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Fast_Eagle_102.JPG" class="mw-file-description" title="Fast Eagle 102, one of the two F-14 Tomcats on the deck of the USS Nimitz immediately following the incident"><img alt="Fast Eagle 102, one of the two F-14 Tomcats on the deck of the USS Nimitz immediately following the incident" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Fast_Eagle_102.JPG/200px-Fast_Eagle_102.JPG" decoding="async" width="200" height="110" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Fast_Eagle_102.JPG/300px-Fast_Eagle_102.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Fast_Eagle_102.JPG/400px-Fast_Eagle_102.JPG 2x" data-file-width="700" data-file-height="384" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><i>Fast Eagle 102</i>, one of the two F-14 Tomcats on the deck of the <a href="/wiki/USS_Nimitz" title="USS Nimitz">USS <i>Nimitz</i></a> immediately following the incident</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 170px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:F14_Reagan_Library.JPG" class="mw-file-description" title="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"><img alt="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" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/F14_Reagan_Library.JPG/200px-F14_Reagan_Library.JPG" decoding="async" width="200" height="133" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/F14_Reagan_Library.JPG/300px-F14_Reagan_Library.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/F14_Reagan_Library.JPG/400px-F14_Reagan_Library.JPG 2x" data-file-width="3456" data-file-height="2304" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">F-14 BuNo <i>162592</i>, painted to depict the F-14 (BuNo <i>160403</i>) flown by Kleemann and Venlet on display at the <a href="/wiki/Ronald_Reagan_Presidential_Library" title="Ronald Reagan Presidential Library">Ronald Reagan Presidential Library</a> in <a href="/wiki/Simi_Valley" class="mw-redirect" title="Simi Valley">Simi Valley</a>, California</div> </li> </ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1981)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239009302">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-link{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .portalleft{clear:left;float:left;margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0}.mw-parser-output .portalright{clear:right;float:right;margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em}}</style><ul role="navigation" aria-label="Portals" class="noprint portalbox portalborder portalright"> <li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Rubik%27s_cube_v3.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Rubik%27s_cube_v3.svg/25px-Rubik%27s_cube_v3.svg.png" decoding="async" width="25" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Rubik%27s_cube_v3.svg/38px-Rubik%27s_cube_v3.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Rubik%27s_cube_v3.svg/51px-Rubik%27s_cube_v3.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="480" data-file-height="530" /></a></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:1980s" title="Portal:1980s">1980s portal</a></span></li><li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="mw-image-border noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="flag" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Libya.svg/32px-Flag_of_Libya.svg.png" decoding="async" width="32" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Libya.svg/48px-Flag_of_Libya.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Libya.svg/64px-Flag_of_Libya.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="960" data-file-height="480" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Libya" title="Portal:Libya">Libya portal</a></span></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1989_air_battle_near_Tobruk" title="1989 air battle near Tobruk">1989 air battle near Tobruk</a>, a similar incident which occurred eight years later</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hainan_Island_incident" title="Hainan Island incident">Hainan Island incident</a>, a similar incident between the U.S. and China that occurred in 2001</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Iron_Eagle" title="Iron Eagle">Iron Eagle</a></i>, a 1986 film inspired by the incident.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_El_Dorado_Canyon" class="mw-redirect" title="Operation El Dorado Canyon">Operation El Dorado Canyon</a> (1986)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Top_Gun" title="Top Gun">Top Gun</a></i>, a 1986 film whose final dogfight scene was inspired by this incident.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1981)&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Citations">Citations</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1981)&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Citations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.indexmundi.com/libya/maritime_claims.html">"Libya Maritime claims"</a>. Indexmundi.com<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">1 March</span> 2013</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Libya+Maritime+claims&rft.pub=Indexmundi.com&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indexmundi.com%2Flibya%2Fmaritime_claims.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGulf+of+Sidra+incident+%281981%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-CRS-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-CRS_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CRS_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/9577.pdf">"Congressional Research Service Issue Brief for Congress: Libya"</a>. (2002, April 10). Foreign Press Centers, U.S. Department of State, Retrieved 20 January 2012.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-stjohn1-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-stjohn1_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-stjohn1_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">St John, Ronald Bruce. (2002). <i>Libya and the United States: Two Centuries of Strife</i>. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 125. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8122-3672-6" title="Special:BookSources/0-8122-3672-6">0-8122-3672-6</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-davis1-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-davis1_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Davis, Brian L. (1990). <i>Qaddafi, Terrorism, and the Origins of the U.S. Attack on Libya</i>. Praeger Publishers. p. 14. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-275-93302-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-275-93302-4">0-275-93302-4</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-lehman-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-lehman_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLehman2001" class="citation book cs1">Lehman, John F. (2001) [1988]. <i>Command of the Seas</i>. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 351. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1557505347" title="Special:BookSources/978-1557505347"><bdi>978-1557505347</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Command+of+the+Seas&rft.place=Annapolis&rft.pages=351&rft.pub=Naval+Institute+Press&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=978-1557505347&rft.aulast=Lehman&rft.aufirst=John+F.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGulf+of+Sidra+incident+%281981%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). <i>El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi</i>. Naval Institute Press. p. 29. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3">978-1-55750-983-3</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-davis2-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-davis2_7-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-davis2_7-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Davis, Brian L. (1990). <i>Qaddafi, Terrorism, and the Origins of the U.S. Attack on Libya</i>. Praeger Publishers. p. 47. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-275-93302-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-275-93302-4">0-275-93302-4</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). <i>El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi</i>. Naval Institute Press. p. 27. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3">978-1-55750-983-3</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Beecher, William. (1973, March 23). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="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"</a>. <i>The New York Times</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Finney, John W. (1973, March 25). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="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'"</a>. <i>The New York Times</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-martinwalcott1-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-martinwalcott1_11-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Martin, David C. and John Walcott. (1988). <i>Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism</i>. Harper and Row, Publishers Inc. p. 68 <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-06-015877-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-06-015877-8">0-06-015877-8</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). <i>El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi</i>. Naval Institute Press. p. 30. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3">978-1-55750-983-3</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). <i>El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi</i>. Naval Institute Press. p. 49. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3">978-1-55750-983-3</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Wilcox1-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Wilcox1_14-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Wilcox1_14-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Wilcox, Robert K. (1996). <i>Wings of Fury: From Vietnam to the Gulf War – The Astonishing True Stories of America's Elite Fighter Pilots</i>. Pocket Books. p. 10. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-74793-2" title="Special:BookSources/0-671-74793-2">0-671-74793-2</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). <i>El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi</i>. Naval Institute Press. p. 50. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3">978-1-55750-983-3</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). <i>El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi</i>. Naval Institute Press. p. 50. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3">978-1-55750-983-3</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Wilcox2-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Wilcox2_17-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Wilcox, Robert K. (1996). <i>Wings of Fury: From Vietnam to the Gulf War – The Astonishing True Stories of America's Elite Fighter Pilots</i>. Pocket Books. pp. 10–11. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-74793-2" title="Special:BookSources/0-671-74793-2">0-671-74793-2</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Brown-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Brown_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Brown, Craig. (2007). <i>Debrief: A Complete History of U.S. Aerial Engagements 1981 to the Present</i>. Schiffer Military History. pp. 13–14. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7643-2785-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7643-2785-8">978-0-7643-2785-8</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Browndavid-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Browndavid_19-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Browndavid_19-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Brown, David F. (1998). <i>Tomcat Alley: A Photographic Roll Call of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat</i>. Schiffer Military History. pp. 99, 104. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7643-0477-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-7643-0477-1">0-7643-0477-1</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Signed Lithograph while in VF-41 (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-WpYnlo5Hk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-WpYnlo5Hk</a>)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Wilcox3-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Wilcox3_21-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Wilcox3_21-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Wilcox, Robert K. (1996). <i>Wings of Fury: From Vietnam to the Gulf War – The Astonishing True Stories of America’s Elite Fighter Pilots</i>. Pocket Books. pp. 68–69. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-74793-2" title="Special:BookSources/0-671-74793-2">0-671-74793-2</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Brown2-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Brown2_22-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Brown2_22-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Brown2_22-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Brown2_22-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Brown2_22-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Brown2_22-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Brown2_22-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Brown, Craig (2007). <i>Debrief: A Complete History of U.S. Aerial Engagements 1981 to the Present</i>. Schiffer Military History. p. 15. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7643-2785-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7643-2785-8">978-0-7643-2785-8</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). <i>El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Gaddafi</i>. Naval Institute Press. p. 52. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3">978-1-55750-983-3</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Sanders, Thompson, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/bait-and-switch-in-libya-94267482/">"Bait and switch"</a>, <i>Air & Space</i>, June/July 2012, pp. 18–19</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-martinwalcott4-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-martinwalcott4_25-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-martinwalcott4_25-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Martin, David C. and John Walcott. (1988). <i>Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism</i>. Harper and Row, Publishers Inc. p. 69 <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-06-015877-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-06-015877-8">0-06-015877-8</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-martinwalcott5-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-martinwalcott5_26-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Martin, David C. and John Walcott. (1988). <i>Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism</i>. Harper and Row, Publishers Inc. p. 71 <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-06-015877-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-06-015877-8">0-06-015877-8</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kimmitt, Robert M. (2006, August 20). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/aug/20/20060820-104133-3139r//?page=1">"Reagan and Gadhafi"</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110828052911/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/aug/20/20060820-104133-3139r//?page=1">Archived</a> 2011-08-28 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. <i>The Washington Times</i>, Retrieved 20 January 2012.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). <i>El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi</i>. Naval Institute Press. pp. 54–55. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3">978-1-55750-983-3</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-martinwalcott2-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-martinwalcott2_29-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Martin, David C. and John Walcott. (1988). <i>Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism</i>. Harper and Row, Publishers Inc. p. 72 <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-06-015877-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-06-015877-8">0-06-015877-8</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). <i>El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi</i>. Naval Institute Press. pp. 54, 56. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-983-3">978-1-55750-983-3</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060212192336/http://www.ussbiddle.org/history/fitter_engagement_audio.html">"USS <i>Biddle</i> Ship's History 1967–1993 (Audio recording from the dogfight and a short text transcript)"</a>. <a href="/wiki/United_States_Navy" title="United States Navy">United States Navy</a>. 1981-08-18. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ussbiddle.org/history/fitter_engagement_audio.html">the original</a> on February 12, 2006.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=USS+Biddle+Ship%27s+History+1967%E2%80%931993+%28Audio+recording+from+the+dogfight+and+a+short+text+transcript%29&rft.pub=United+States+Navy&rft.date=1981-08-18&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ussbiddle.org%2Fhistory%2Ffitter_engagement_audio.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGulf+of+Sidra+incident+%281981%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Wilcox8-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Wilcox8_32-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Wilcox8_32-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Wilcox, Robert K. (1996). <i>Wings of Fury: From Vietnam to the Gulf War – The Astonishing True Stories of America’s Elite Fighter Pilots</i>. Pocket Books. pp. 26–28. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-74793-2" title="Special:BookSources/0-671-74793-2">0-671-74793-2</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_356.shtml">Libyan Wars, 1980–1989, Part 2 By Tom Cooper</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060823133218/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_356.shtml">Archived</a> August 23, 2006, at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1981)&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.topedge.com/panels/aircraft/sites/mats/combat.htm">Description of the incident</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://users.accesscomm.ca/magnusfamily/sidrausa.htm">Air Aces record</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ly0145)">U.S. Department of State Country Study of Libya</a>, reporting that both Libyan pilots survived.</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20040429064317/http://www.history.navy.mil/download/pict-m11.pdf"><i>Naval Aviation 1911–1986: A Pictorial Study</i></a> p. 91</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-WpYnlo5Hk">Actual Radio conversation recorded by U.S.S. <i>Biddle</i>, Aug. 19, 1981</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist 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.navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Aviation_accidents_and_incidents_in_1981" title="Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1981"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Aviation_accidents_and_incidents_in_1981" title="Template talk:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1981"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Aviation_accidents_and_incidents_in_1981" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1981"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Aviation_accidents_and_incidents_in_1981_(1981)" class="hlist vevent" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><span class="summary"><a href="/wiki/Aviation_accidents_and_incidents" title="Aviation accidents and incidents">Aviation accidents and incidents</a> in 1981<span style="display:none"> (<span class="bday dtstart published updated itvstart">1981</span>)</span> </span></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0;text-align:left;padding-left:0.5em;"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><div class="div-col" style="column-width: 25em;"> <div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Feb 7</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/1981_Pushkin_Tu-104_crash" title="1981 Pushkin Tu-104 crash">Pushkin Tu-104 crash</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Mar 2</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Pakistan_International_Airlines_Flight_326" title="Pakistan International Airlines Flight 326">Pakistan International Airlines Flight 326</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Mar 28</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Garuda_Indonesian_Airways_Flight_206" title="Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 206">Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 206</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">May 2</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Aer_Lingus_Flight_164" title="Aer Lingus Flight 164">Aer Lingus Flight 164</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">May 7</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Austral_L%C3%ADneas_A%C3%A9reas_Flight_901" title="Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 901">Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 901</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Jun 14</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Aeroflot_Flight_498" title="Aeroflot Flight 498">Aeroflot Flight 498</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Jun 26</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Dan-Air_Flight_240" title="Dan-Air Flight 240">Dan-Air Flight 240</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Jul 18</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/1981_Armenia_mid-air_collision" title="1981 Armenia mid-air collision">Armenia mid-air collision</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Jul 20</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Somali_Airlines_Flight_40" title="Somali Airlines Flight 40">Somali Airlines Flight 40</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Jul 27</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Aerom%C3%A9xico_Flight_230" title="Aeroméxico Flight 230">Aeroméxico Flight 230</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Jul 31</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/1981_Panamanian_Air_Force_Twin_Otter_crash" title="1981 Panamanian Air Force Twin Otter crash">Panamanian Air Force Twin Otter crash</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Aug 9</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/1981_Barrington_Tops_Cessna_210_disappearance" title="1981 Barrington Tops Cessna 210 disappearance">Barrington Tops Cessna 210 disappearance</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Aug 13</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/1981_Bristow_Helicopters_Westland_Wessex_crash" title="1981 Bristow Helicopters Westland Wessex crash">G-ASWI ditching</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Aug 19</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Gulf of Sidra incident</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Aug 22</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Far_Eastern_Air_Transport_Flight_103" title="Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 103">Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 103</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Aug 24</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Aeroflot_Flight_811" title="Aeroflot Flight 811">Aeroflot Flight 811</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Aug 26</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Aeropesca_Colombia_Flight_221" title="Aeropesca Colombia Flight 221">Aeropesca Colombia Flight 221</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Sep 18</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/1981_Zheleznogorsk_mid-air_collision" title="1981 Zheleznogorsk mid-air collision">Zheleznogorsk mid-air collision</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Sep 22</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_935" title="Eastern Air Lines Flight 935">Eastern Air Lines Flight 935</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Sep 29</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Indian_Airlines_Flight_423" title="Indian Airlines Flight 423">Indian Airlines Flight 423</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Oct 6</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/NLM_CityHopper_Flight_431" title="NLM CityHopper Flight 431">NLM CityHopper Flight 431</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Nov 8</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Aerom%C3%A9xico_Flight_110" title="Aeroméxico Flight 110">Aeroméxico Flight 110</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Nov 17</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Aeroflot_Flight_3603" title="Aeroflot Flight 3603">Aeroflot Flight 3603</a></div></div><div><div style="width:4em;display:inline-block;">Dec 1</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="/wiki/Inex-Adria_Aviopromet_Flight_1308" title="Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308">Inex-Adria Flight 1308</a></div></div> </div> <div class="div-col" style="column-width: 25em;"> </div></div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div><a href="/wiki/Template:Aviation_accidents_and_incidents_in_1980" title="Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1980">1980   ◄</a><span class="nowrap">   </span> <a href="/wiki/Template:Aviation_accidents_and_incidents_in_1982" title="Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1982">►   1982</a></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><span class="metadata coord-missing"></span> </p>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1981)&oldid=1246682435">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_(1981)&oldid=1246682435</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:1981_in_Libya" title="Category:1981 in Libya">1981 in 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