After years of conflict, on Sept. 10, 1987, Chad and Libya agreed to a ceasefire the next day at noon. However, Libyan air patrols continued. Indeed, Muammar Gaddafi seemed to believe any military action short of an actual attack was acceptable.
Not coincidentally, in October the United States handed over the first Stinger missiles to the armed forces of Chad. On Oct. 8, the Chadians shot down a Libyan Su-22 and a MiG-23.
In March 1988, French forces in Chad were on alert. Intelligence had warned of significant troop movements in southern Libya. France added defenses to air bases at Timou, Tanoua and Maaten-es-Sara to make them less vulnerable to Chadian raids.
But the Libyans didn’t attack.
In early July 1988, French troops were again on alert. Between July 7 to 9, the Chadian and Libyan foreign ministers met in Libreville, Gabon. The French feared the Libyans would launch an offensive during the meeting.
At top — a Libya C-130H. Above — A Libyan Mirage 5DR. Albert Grandolini collection
At the French base in Faya-Largeau, air-defense was the responsibility of the 35th Airborne Artillery Regiment. The regiment had three Stinger teams arranged in three positions around a local hill called the Rock of Mao. To separate friend from foe, friendly aircraft were required to arrive at a certain altitude while facing the rock and turn on their landing lights.
