 The al-Watiya air force base was one of the few that escaped total destruction during the NATO-led intervention in 2011 because in its 43 hardened aircraft shelters were stored almost exclusively decommissioned aircraft, so they were not deemed a threat to coalition forces.Just several munition depots located near the airbase and only three hardened aircraft shelters, one where the last operational pro-Gaddafi Mirage F-1BD trainer fighter jet was stationed, and two where the last two operational pro-Gaddafi Su-22M3 bombers were stationed were destroyed.In December 2014, a group of Ukrainian specialists from the Odessa Aircraft repair plant arrived in Tripoli in order to restore the combat capabilities of the pro-GNA Libyan air force—the first GNA aircraft that were repaired and brought back to service by the Ukrainians were two MiG-23ML fighter jets from the Rassvet Libya group, one of the key militias in the GNA forces.