oip.osk/articles/oskeniaslastfighterduel

Flight Colonel Davide Lida had just begun to enjoy his morning cup of coffee when he scrambled to intercept an MiG-23 "Flogger" on July 31 1994. Barely a half hour later, he became Oskenia's first fighter pilot to score a kill since the Second World War, and the most decorated Oskenian fighter pilot ever.

Following increased hostilities between Libya and the United States, including a terrorist attack in Germany in 1986 that took the lives of three people, Oskenia began to increase their military presence and posture in Tunisia and the island of Malta, home of the Mediterranean fleet. Part of these exercises involved intercepting and escorting Libyan aircraft that strayed too close to Oskenian airspace.

After the 1989 air battle near Tobruk, in which two American F-14 Tomcats shot down two MiG-23s over the Mediterranean Sea, the Oskenian Navy and Air Force decided to take a more aggressive stance when confronted with Libyan aircraft. The military was especially concerned about protecting civilian maritime shipping, naval freedom of navigation, and Oskenian island territories. To achieve this posture, aircraft were put on 24/7 combat air patrols (CAPs) throughout the Gulf of Gabés (Tunisia), the Libyan Sea, and the Sea of Sicily.

On the morning of July 31, 1994, five F-15Es of the 4th Interception Wing sat lined up on the ramp at Valletta airbase in Malta. One of these aircraft was Ditch 280, piloted by Flight Colonel Davide Lida and Weapons System Officer (WSO) Flight Lieutenant Adam Dalde.

FCol. Davide Lida & WSO FLt. Adam Dalde


Davide Lida was a veteran compared to the men he flew with. A well-seasoned pilot with nearly a decade of flying experience, he had flown numerous CAPs in support of Morocco in the Western Sahara War and over a dozen Tunisian border security missions countering Libya. In 1990 he was assigned to the 4th ITW along with his WSO, Adam Dalde. The two of them quickly became close friends despite their disparity in experience and rank.

At 09:45, a scramble alert sounded across the airbase and crews rushed to their aircraft. For Davide and Adam, this was a regular occurrence. For nearly five years, Libyan aircraft had played chicken with Oskenian air defenses and exclusion zones. Ditch 280 had scrambled six times in just a month. "But this time felt odd," Adam told the Independent Post. "I just had this feeling—that this would be different."

Immediately, Adam's premonition began to materialize. Barely after roaring into the sky, Ditch 280's wingman, Ditch 289, experienced engine trouble and had to return to the runway. While the airbase worked to get a backup aircraft airborne, Davide and Adam were alone, and barreling towards a fully-armed MiG-23.

The F-15 was armed with American-made AIM-9 and AIM-7 missiles in addition to domestically-produced short-range AAM-25s. "We were a tough nut to crack," Davide remarked. "F-15s are battle proven and tough."

Barely ten minutes after taking to the sky, Ditch 280 began closing in on the MiG-23. The Libyan pilot was heading straight for the F-15 when he suddenly fired a single AA-7 missile at 10:15 at a distance of roughly 15 km. "We almost didn't believe it," noted Adam. "It took us completely off guard." Quickly rolling to avoid the missile, it harmlessly flew by, allowing Davide to dive hard and fast. The MiG soared straight past Ditch 280, allowing the F-15 to gain the advantage by turning onto the Libyan's six.

At a distance of roughly 2.5 km, Ditch 280 fired a single AIM-9 missile at the MiG-23 from the rear, although the missile failed to track towards its target. Staying on the MiG, Ditch 280 fired yet another AIM-9. The missile accelerated away from the F-15, and moments later Davide and Adam observed it striking the MiG. The pilot bailed out as his burning aircraft careened towards the ocean.

(WIP)