On 8 August 2011, Jalala along with 14 other members of the Executive Board were fired, and the position left vacant but was reappointed in early October 2011 after continuing in the role of interim defense minister for almost two months.

On 9 March 2011, a report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies said: "Apart from a few mechanized units in Benghazi and Tobruk, and a few armored battalions near Bayda, rebel-controlled areas lack any substantial hardware with which to take on the pro-Gaddafi stronghold of Tripoli.

"[7] However, two fighter jets defected from Gaddafi and joined the rebels and were used during the Battle of Ajdabiya and damaged an armed oiler tanker and possibly two others.

They also gained several helicopters from defected units based in Benghazi, these aircraft forming the Free Libyan Air Force.

[11] In addition to conventional and improvised weapons, there was a surprising amount of sophistication among rebel equipment, with some even fashioning unmanned ground vehicles from remote-controlled toy cars and the like.