Libyan Civil War Libyan Civil War - Libreria Militare Ares

conducted missions searching for Libyan ground forces to attack. US Navy EA-18G Growlers werer diverted from
operations over Iraq and jammed Libyan radar and communications. [62][63] No US aircraft were lost during the missions. [64]
The warplanes included Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier IIs (attacking pro-Gaddafi's ground forces), [65] Air Force B-2 Spirit
stealth bombers, and F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16C Fighting Falcon fighter jets. [66] Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, states that there would be continuous allied air cover over Benghazi, and that the no-fly zone "is
effectively in place". [67] An EC-130J was recorded warning Libyan shipping "If you attempt to leave port, you will be
attacked and destroyed immediately" in Arabic, French and English. [68]
• Day 3: 21 March 2011 All fixed SA-2 Guideline, SA-3 Goa and SA-5 Gammon sites were taken out. Only SA-6 Gainful,
hand held SA-7 Grail and SA-8 Gecko mobile SAMs are still a possible threat to aircraft. [69] In the early hours of the day a
building from Moammar Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli was completely destroyed by a cruise missile. [70] Twelve more
cruise missiles were fired at command and air defense sites. [71]
• Day 4: 22 March 2011 At approximately 22:30 CET (evening of March 21), a US F-15E 91-0304 operating out of Aviano
Air Base crashed about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Benghazi. Both crew members ejected at high altitude and were
subsequently separated. A MV-22 Osprey, supported by two AV-8Bs, two CH-53E Super Stallions, and a KC-130J Hercules
from the 26th MEU initially recovered the pilot, [45] while the weapons officer was recovered later after being rescued by
rebel forces in the area. [72][45] Two Marine Harriers accompanying the rescue force dropped two 500lb bombs at the request
of the ejected pilot, prior to the MV-22 landing in an attempt to deter an unidentified group of people heading towards the
area. [73][45] The UK had a "peripheral involvement" in the rescue of the US pilots. [74][75][76][77][74][78]
Six local villagers, including a young boy, were reported to have been injured by gunfire from the rescuing U.S. forces, [79][80]
Although a Marine spokesperson aboard USS Kearsarge denied that shots were fired: "The Osprey is not armed, and the Marines
barely got off the aircraft. I was in the landing center the whole time, where we were monitoring what was going on, and firing was
never reported", [73] Pentagon sources were later reported to have confirmed that shots were fired. [81][45] The source of the civilian
casualties is still being investigated. [73] Overnight, the US bombed the wreckage of the downed F-15E "to prevent materials from
getting into the wrong hands." [82] In a 24-hours period; 175 air sorties were conducted (113 US, 62 coalition). [83] Around this time, the
US changed its target priorities from air defenses to Libyan ground forces. [84]
• Day 6: 24 March 2011 March 24 Royal Norwegian Airforce F-16s were assigned to the US African command and
Operation Odyssey Dawn. A number of Norwegian F-16s took off from the Souda Bay Air Base on the island of Crete,
[85] [86]
Greece for their first mission over Libya.
• Day 7 25 March 2011 Three laser guided bombs were launched from 2 F-16s of the Royal Norwegian Airforce against
Libyan tanks. [87] F-16s from the Royal Norwegian Airforce bombed an airfield in Libya during the night. [88] Coalition planes
flew 164 sorties and coalition leaders reported damage to Gadhafi's ground forces. [89]
• Days 8 and 9 26 and 27 March 2011Lockheed AC-130 gunships and Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack
aircraft began operations, attacking ground forces. [90] These were the first aircraft used against troops; previous strikes had
targeted command and anti-aircraft infrastructure. [90] Two B-1 bombers from Ellsworth Air Force Base attacked undisclosed
targets in Libya. [91] Attack submarine USS Providence (SSN-719) completed all assigned strike missions and has left the area
for previous duties. The US is responsible for 80% of air refueling, 75% of aerial surveillance hours and 100% of electronic
warfare missions. [92]
• Days 10 and 11 28 and 29 March 2011 On March 28, a USAF A-10 and a USN P-3 attack one Libyan Coast Guard vessel
and two smaller craft. The P-3 fired AGM-65F Maverick missiles at a Vittoria-class patrol boat, forcing the crew to beach
her. The A-10 strafed the other two smaller boats with its 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon rounds, sinking one and forcing the
crew to abandon the other. The Libyan vessels were attacked after U.S forces observed them firing into Misurata and at
merchant vessels. The USS Barry (DDG-52) provided situational awareness for the aircraft by managing the airspace and
maintaining the maritime picture. [93][94]
Criticism There has been criticism over the handling of the operation and the belief that the Obama administration failed to
adequately consult the US Congress. The Obama administration defended its handling of the Libyan crisis, drawing a clear line
between military and political objectives. On March 24th White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters "We are not engaged
in militarily-driven regime change." Instead, the administration is engaged in "time-limited, scope-limited" action with other countries
to protect civilians from forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. [95]
See also
United Nations portal
• Operation El Dorado Canyon – 1986 U.S. air-strikes against Libya
• Operation Unified Protector - NATO operation for enforcement of UNSCR 1970 and 1973
Footnotes
Notes
1. ^ From Wired, "The U.S. military’s nickname for the no-fly zone in Libya sounds like the beginning of a long
adventure. But Defense Department officials insist that there’s no hidden meaning behind 'Operation Odyssey Dawn.' It’s
just the product of the Pentagon’s semi-random name-generating system." [9]
2. ^ USS Providence left the area some time around March 27-28. [26]
References
1. ^ Cohen, Tom (20 March 2011). "Mullen: No-fly zone effectively in place in Libya". CNN.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/20/us.mullen.libya/index.htmlhpt=T1. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
2. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 162
3. ^ "Serbia-Libya: Serbian Delegation At Weapons Fair In Tripoli - Lybia". ANSAMED.info.
http://www.ansamed.info/en/libia/news/ME.YBL40539.html. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
4. ^ "Gaddafi Attacked City of Misrata; US to Bomb More | The World Reporter: News Opinion and Analysis". The
World Reporter. http://www.theworldreporter.com/2011/03/gaddafi-attacked-city-of-misrata-us-to.html. Retrieved 2011-03-
21.