Libyan Civil War Libyan Civil War - Libreria Militare Ares

o Task Force 473 [18]
Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91)
10 × Rafale M fighters
6 × Super-Etendard strike aircraft
2 × E-2C airborne early warning aircraft
2 × Dauphin multipurpose helicopters
2 × Alouette III utility helicopters
French Air Force detachment of a Puma and 2 × Caracal transport helicopters
Anti-air destroyer Forbin (D620) (later transferred to Operation Odyssey Dawn) [19]
Anti-air frigate Jean Bart (D615)
Frigate Dupleix (D641)
Frigate Aconit (F713)
Replenishment tanker Meuse (A607)
Nuclear attack submarine Améthyste (S605) [20][21]
Summary of action
Day 1: 19 March 2011 The French Navy anti-air destroyer Forbin and anti-air frigate Jean Bart were already off Libya when the
operation commenced. The French Air Force deployed in its first strike force eight Rafale fighters, two Mirage 2000-5 fighters and
two Mirage 2000D fighter-bombers supported by other aircraft listed above. [22] Eight Rafale fighters patrolled the skies over Benghazi
to prohibit the advance of Libyan ground forces. One opened fire on a Libyan military vehicle at 17:45 local time. The Telegraph
reported four Libyan tanks destroyed by French aircraft southwest of Benghazi. [12] Aircraft returning from combat missions landed at
Solenzara Air Base on Corsica from which further combat sorties were launched. [23]
Day 2: 20 March 2011 Eleven sorties were carried out by French aircraft over Libya. [23] Task Force 473, the aircraft carrier Charles
de Gaulle and its battle group, sailed from Toulon. [23]
Day 3: 21 March 2011 Up to this day, 55 sorties were carried out by French aircraft over Libya. [24] The French Ministry of Defence
(MoD) claimed a Mirage 2000-D destroyed another Libyan tank 100 km south of Benghazi. [25]
Day 4: 22 March 2011 Aircraft from the Charles de Gaulle began operations over Libya, commencing with Rafale F3s conducting
reconnaissance and patrols. [18] The Forbin and Jean Bart, which were already on station off Libya, joined Task Force 473. [18] The
number of combat aircraft forward deployed at Air Base 126 Solenzara was increased to 20 with the arrival of two more Mirage 2000-
5 and two more Mirage 2000D, with support aircraft operating out of Saint-Dizier and Avord. [26]
Day 5: 23 March 2011 Rafale and Mirage 2000D aircraft from Solenzara and Rafale and Super Etendard aircraft from the Charles de
Gaulle conducted reconnaissance and support sorties over Libya. [27]
Day 6: 24 March 2011 Rafale and Mirage 2000D aircraft attacked a Libyan air base, 250 kilometres (160 mi) inland from the
Mediterranean Sea, with SCALP GP missiles. [28] Rafale, Mirage 2000D and Super Etendard aircraft flew four joint interdiction
missions against Libyan ground forces. [29] A Rafale destroyed a Libyan Soko G-2 Galeb light attack jet with an AASM air-to-surface
missile as it landed at Misrata. [29][30] A patrol of two Mirage 2000Ds, equipped with GBU-12 laser guided bombs, attacked loyalist
artillery near Ajdabiyah. [31]
Day 7: 25 March 2011 Qatari aircraft attached to Operation Odyssey Dawn and French aircraft conducted joint reconnaissance
sorties in the regions of Misrata, Zintan, Sirte and Ajdabiyah. Four Mirage 2000Ds conducted interdiction missions against loyalist
artillery near Ajdabiyah. Two French and two Qatari Mirage 2000-5s conducted air interdiction missions. [31] Three French Mirage
2000-5s were moved from Solenzara to Souda Air Base on Crete. [31]
Day 8: 26 March 2011 French aircraft carried out several air strikes around Zintan and Misrata, destroying at least five Soko G-2
Galeb light attack jets and two Mi-35 helicopters on the ground. French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s continued joint reconnaissance
sorties from Souda Air Base. [32]
Day 9: 27 March 2011 Air Force and Navy Rafales attacked a command centre south of Tripoli. French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s
conducted joint patrols and air interdiction missions from Souda Air Base. Rafales and Super The number of French Mirage 2000-5s
based as Souda was increased to four. [33]
Day 10: 28 March 2011 Air operations were planned to focus on the region around Zintan and Misrata. [33] Air force Rafales and
Mirage 2000Ds and a joint patrol of Navy Rafales and Super Etendards bombed an ammunition dump at Gharyan, 100 kilometres
(62 mi) south of Tripoli. [14] Mirage F1CRs conducted reconnaissance missions for the first time in the operation. [14]
Day 11: 29 March 2011 Two patrols of Air Force Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds and a patrol of Navy Rafales and Super Etendards
attacked anti-aircraft missile sites 100 kilometres (62 mi) south west of Tripoli. Two joint patrols of French and Qatari Mirage 2000-
5s conducted air interdiction sorties. [14] Mirage 2000Ds and Super Etendards bombed a military depot 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of
Tripoli. [34]
Day 12: 30 March 2011 A joint strike force of Air Force Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds and Navy Rafales and Super Etendards
attacked anti-aircraft missile sites 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Sirte. A patrol of two French and four Qatari Mirage 2000-5s
conducted air interdiction sorties. [34]
See also
• Ouadi Doum air raid, 1986 French air raid on Libyan airbase in Chad
• 2011 Libyan uprising
[edit] References
1. ^ "Allied forces strike Gadhafi compound; leader's whereabouts unknown". CNN. 21 March 2011.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/21/libya.civil.war/index.htmlhpt=T1&iref=BN1#. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
2. ^ "Photo Gallery: The Bombardment of Libya". Der Spiegel. 22 March 2011.
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-65947-12.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
3. ^ Abbas, Mohammed (20 March 2011). "Wreck of Gaddafi's force smoulders near Benghazi". Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/20/us-libya-east-devastation-idUSTRE72J1M820110320. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
4. ^ "Western Air Strikes Fail To Dislodge Gaddafi Armour". 23March 2011.
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.phpid=573297. Retrieved 23 March 2011.