Crank up the T-shirt and bumper sticker production lines . . .
Here's what we know so far: ABC News has reported that a few hours ago a French fighter shot down a Libyan fighter that had violated the UN-mandated no-fly zone. ABC subsequently reported that the Libyan jet was a Galeb, which is by no means a fighter, but rather a trainer that can be morphed into a dumb bomber, shot down in the skies over Misrata.
So we're guessing the French fighter was a Rafale that launched on a CAP mission off of the carrier Charles DeGaulle sailing in the Gulf of Sidra. The Rafale carries MAGIC 2 and MICA air-to-air missiles -- all aspect weapons.
The Galeb has no air-to-air weapons.
Nobody said it had to be a fair fight:
In other Rafale news, Air & Comos is reporting that the fifth generation airplane used its SCALP-EG cruise missiles against Libyan regime targets last night for the first time operationally.
More on the shootdown as we get it.
-- Ward
