Libyan Sukhoi-22 crashed deliberately today.

[Thermal]

Libya can scratch another aircraft from their inventory. Seems a Su-22 was deliberately crashed today.

Libya pilot ‘rejects Benghazi raid, ditches plane’

TRIPOLI: A fighter pilot disobeyed orders on Wednesday to bomb the opposition stronghold of Benghazi and ditched his plane after he and his co-pilot ejected, a Libyan newspaper reported on its website.
The Russian-made Sukhoi 22 crashed near Ajdabiya, 160 kilometres (100 miles) west of the city which has fallen to anti-regime protesters, a military source said, quoted in Quryna newspaper.
“Pilot Abdessalam Attiyah al-Abdali and co-pilot Ali Omar al-Kadhafi ejected with parachutes after refusing orders to bomb the city of Benghazi.”
On Monday, the pilots of two Libyan fighter jets landed in Malta and defected after they had been ordered to attack protesters in Benghazi.
The two men told Maltese military officers that they were senior air force colonels and one of them requested asylum, as they were getting out of their single-seater Mirage F1 jets.
Malta is the closest European state to Libya, located just 340 kilometres (211 miles) north of Libyan shores.
Two French-registered Super Puma civilian helicopters also landed on the Mediterranean island around the same time, carrying seven passengers who said they were French working on oil rigs near Benghazi.
The helicopters were given permission to land in Malta but had not been given clearance to leave Libya, indicating they had escaped, the sources said.

[Stratofreighter]

Rumours abound of 5 Libyan "combat pilots" having been executed for refusing to bombard/attack civilians...

I wouldn't be surprised if fuel amounts are deliberatedly rationed to prevent further defections to Malta or other countries..

No full aircraft fuel tanks = less range

[aviodromefriend]

I wouldn't be surprised if fuel amounts are deliberatedly rationed to prevent further defections to Malta or other countries..

No full aircraft fuel tanks = less range

Something like the former Soviet block doctrine?

On the other hand: Too little fuel = No possibility to reach the assigned "target" and return safely (so it will be impossible to do the "job").

[DJdeRidder]

On the other hand: Too little fuel = No possibility to reach the assigned "target" and return safely (so it will be impossible to do the "job").

In the case of the defected Mirages they were reported to have been armed and refueled at Benghazi airport (or airbase?) after which they were ordered to attack Benghazi city. I guess it's just a short hop away, so lots of (terrible) things can be done with little fuel..

[Slijfie]

Benghazi and Malta are about 800 km apart. Can a Mirage F1 reach that when the internal tanks are not completely full?
By the way: Cyprus is somewhat closer to Benghazi. Egypt is 'just around the corner', but I guess the pilots didn't want to fly over land with all those SAM-sites.

[Malcolm Bezzina]

The Mirages arrived from Mitiga AFB which located near the Mediterranean coast only 200km away from Malta.