Libyan Civil War Libyan Civil War - Libreria Militare Ares

survived)
114 civilians killed and 445 wounded (Libyan health ministry claim)* [5]
40 civilians killed (in Tripoli; Vatican claim) [6]
*Libyan health ministry claim has not been independently confirmed and Libyan government figures have been shown as
unreliable or misinformation. [7] The U.S. military claims it has no knowledge of civilian casualties. [8]
Operation Odyssey Dawn is the US code name [Note 1] for the international military operation in Libya by a coalition that is enforcing
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. The coalition is initially being led by United States forces. [10][11] It implements a
no-fly zone that was proposed during the 2011 Libyan uprising to prevent government forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi from
carrying out air attacks on rebel forces. On 19 March 2011, several countries prepared to take immediate military action at a summit
in Paris. [12] Operations commenced on the same day with the US and other coalition forces conducting multiple strikes via Tomahawk
cruise missiles and air assets bombing Gaddafi forces near Benghazi. [13] The goal of coalition forces has been to impose a no-fly zone
and to destroy loyalist forces that threaten civilians. The US passed complete military command of the operation to NATO and took
up a support role on March 27, 2011. [14] Prior to that, an agreement to pass command of the embargo to NATO was reached on March
23, [15] and a handover of enforcement of the no-fly zone to NATO was agreed to on March 24 and became effective the following
day. [16] However, NATO's current objectives do not include aiding the rebel forces' efforts to take control of territory currently held by
Gaddafi. [14] The British name for their military support of Resolution 1973 is Operation ELLAMY, [17] the Canadian participation is
Operation MOBILE, [18] and the French participation is Opération Harmattan. [19] NATO's military activity is Operation Unified
Protector. [16]
Command The strategic command of Operation Odyssey Dawn is under the authority of General Carter Ham, the Combatant
Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), a Unified Combatant Command of the Department of Defense.
Tactical command in the theater of operations is under command of Admiral Sam Locklear, the Commander of United States Naval
Forces Europe onboard the command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) in the Mediterranean Sea. [10][20] President Obama stated the
US military action will be scaled back soon [21] and is considering handing over the command of the operation to either UK, France or
NATO. On the 24th of March, 2011, NATO took command of enforcing the no-fly zone in Libya and is still considering taking
control of the rest of the mission. [22] On March 24, 2011, the coalition agreed to have NATO command the no-fly zone, [23] and the
U.S. Department of Defense stated that the U.S. will relinquish command of Operation Odyssey Dawn as early as March 28th. [24]
Deployed forces
• United States Navy [25]
o USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20), the command ship of the United States Sixth Fleet
The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of:
USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship
USS Ponce (LPD-15), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock
embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit
USS Barry (DDG-52), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
USS Stout (DDG-55), another Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
[Note 2]
USS Providence (SSN-719), a Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine
USS Scranton (SSN-756), a second Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine
USS Florida (SSGN-728), an Ohio-class cruise missile submarine [27]
USNS Kanawha a Henry J. Kaiser-class oiler [28]
USNS Lewis and Clark a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship [29]
USNS Robert E. Peary a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship
The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of USS Bataan, USS Mesa Verde, and USS Whidbey
Island, left their home port of Naval Station Norfolk on 23 March, bound for Marine Corps Base Camp
Lejeune in North Carolina to pick up the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. They planned to sail east around
March 30th to relieve the 26th MEU in the Mediterranean Sea two months before the projected deployment
date. [30]
o Five EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft operating out of NAS Sigonella and Aviano Air Base [31][32]
o One EP-3E ELINT aircraft [29]
o Two P-3C Update 3 maritime surveillance aircraft
o Two P-3C AIP maritime surveillance aircraft
• United States Air Force [33]
o Three B-2 Spirit stealth bombers operating from Whiteman AFB. [34]
o Two B-1B bombers [35]
o Ten F-15E Strike Eagle strike fighters operating out of RAF Lakenheath [36][31][37]
o Eight F-16C Fighting Falcon multirole fighters from Spangdahlem Air Base started leaving for Aviano on 20
March [31][36]
o Two HH-60 Pave Hawk combat search and rescue helicopters from RAF Lakenheath operating from
USS Ponce (LPD-15). [38]
o Three E-8C battle management/command and control aircraft
o One EC-130H electronic warfare (communications jamming) aircraft
o One EC-130J psychological operations aircraft
o One RC-135V/W Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft [39]
o Two AC-130U gunships [40]
o Six A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft [41][26]
o Global Hawk unmanned aerial surveillance vehicle
o Lockheed U-2 Reconnaissance aircraft [42][43]