After 1970
Following the U.S. withdrawal, the base was renamed Okba Ben Nafi Airfield (seemingly after the legendary hero Uqba ibn Nafi) and went into use by the Soviet Union, as well as becoming the headquarters for the Libyan Air Force. The base was bombed by the United States in 1986 during Operation El Dorado Canyon.
The airfield was subsequently renamed Mitiga International Airport.
Read more about this topic: Wheelus Air Base