Coalition launches Libya attacks

Operation "Odyssey Dawn"
US missile strikes on Libya

Obama OKs missile strikes on Libya

AAP March 20, 2011

President Barack Obama approved US missile strikes on Libya, warning a defiant Muammar Gaddafi that "actions have consequences" but stressing no US ground troops would deploy to the North African nation.

"Today, I authorised the armed forces of the United States to begin a limited military action in Libya," said Obama.

Pentagon officials said US and British warships and submarines fired 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libya's air defence systems in "Operation Dawn," the first phase of military action against Libya to impose a UN-mandated no-fly zone.

"We must be clear: actions have consequences, and the writ of the international community must be enforced," Obama told reporters while on an official visit to Brazil.

Gaddafi had defiantly warned France, Britain and the United States that they will regret interfering in his country's affairs, following a UN resolution that allowed the use of force to protect civilians from advancing pro-Gaddafi forces.

The US president stressed, however, that the operation would not expand into US boots on the ground in Libya.

"As I said yesterday, we will not - I repeat - we will not deploy any US troops on the ground," Obama said.

The Pentagon said the barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles struck more than 20 targets, including surface-to-air sites, early warning sites, and communications facilities.

The first missile struck at 1900 GMT following air strikes carried out earlier by French warplanes.

"I want the American people to know that the use of force is not our first choice, and it's not a choice that I make lightly," Obama said.

"But we cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people that there will be no mercy, and when his forces step up their assault on cities like Benghazi and Misrata where innocent men and women face brutality and death at the hands of their own government."

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A joint operation to enforce a UN-backed no-fly zone over Libya has begun. Here we look at some of the British and French fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft likely to be involved.

UK AIRCRAFT

Typhoon - Eurofighter


Typhoon

* Crew: 1
* Speed: 2 Mach
* Weapons: Air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM, ASRAAM),Brimstone, Enhanced Paveway, Paveway IV

The RAF's Typhoon, or Eurofighter, is an agile aircraft which could be used in air-to-air combat if the Libyan airforce tries to get airborne.

Typhoons were built to criteria set by the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy to replace the Tornado fighter. It boasts stealth technology and weapons systems include medium and short-range air-to-air missiles and various air-to-ground weapons.

The Typhoon entered service with the RAF in 2003, primarily based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and RAF Leuchars in Scotland. It has also been operational in the Falkland Islands since September 2009.

Tornado


Tornado GR4

* Crew: 2
* Max speed: 1.3 Mach
* Weapons: Storm Shadow, Brimstone, ALARM, AIM-9 Sidewinder, Paveway II, Paveway III, Enhanced Paveway, General Purpose Bombs, Mauser 27mm cannon
* Source: RAF

The Tornado has been one of the mainstays of the RAF since first entering service in 1980 and the aircraft were used to enforce no-fly zones in Iraq.

It is mainly used as a strike or attack aircraft and could have a key role in taking out Libyan surface-to-air missile systems.

Weapons such as the Storm Shadow cruise missile mean that the Tornado can hit targets from a significant distance. The MOD describes the missile as being designed for "long range, highly accurate, deep penetration" against enemy command and control bunkers. It is fired from a Tornado GR4.

Tornado GR4s are also equipped with Brimstone missiles, an effective anti-armour weapon and can also be used for all-weather, day and night tactical reconnaissance.

Nimrod


Nimrod R1

* Crew: 29
* Speed: 360 knots

Nimrod R1 reconnaissance aircraft, derivative of the maritime patrol version, are expected to be involved in surveillance operations.

The suite of monitoring systems are used for reconnaissance and gathering electronic intelligence. It can sit over an area, flying at low speeds for long periods - which can be extended by mid-air refuelling.

The Nimrod R1s are operated by No 51 Squadron, from RAF Waddington.

Sentinel


Sentinel R1

* Crew: 5
* Speed: 0.89 Mach
* Systems: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI)

The Sentinel R1 aircraft, used in intelligence operations in Afghanistan, is also expected to be used in any Libya mission.

It is part of the Sentinel system which is made up of air, land and support segments.

The aircraft are converted Bombardier Global Express aircraft which are fitted with radar and monitoring systems which can be used to track and target enemy ground forces.

The reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to be scrapped after the UK withdraws its forces from Afghanistan.

FRENCH AIRCRAFT

France is clearly one of the key players in this crisis.

In diplomatic terms it has been one of the main promoters of UN Security Council resolution 1973 allowing the use of force. French aircraft, thought to be Rafale fighters, according to reports from Paris, have been the first to operate over Libya ensuring, according to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, that Libyan government aircraft cannot operate over the Benghazi.

Dassault Rafale


Dassault Rafale

Crew: 1/2
Speech: 1.8 Mach
Weapons: Air-to-ground missile, including Apache and Exocet, air-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles

The Dassault Rafale is a multi-role, twin-engined delta wing aircraft capable of mounting air defence, ground attack, and reconnaissance missions.

It is operated by the French Air Force and a variant of the plane is the mainstay of the French Navy, operating from the carrier Charles de Gaulle.

The Rafale carries a sophisticated electronic survival system named Spectra. It can detect and track up to eight targets simultaneously and generate 3D maps for navigation and targeting.

Mirage 2000


Mirage 2000

Crew: 1/2
Speed: 2.2 Mach
Weapons: built-in twin DEFA 554 30mm revolver-type cannons. Air-to-air missiles

Again a multi-role fighter, the descendant of the famous Mirage III of the 1960s. Entered service in 1982 but some were extensively modernised in the late 1980s to fill a gap until the Rafale entered service. There is also a strike version of the aircraft, the Mirage 2000D.

Mirage F1

This is an older model from the Mirage stable, the first aircraft entering service in 1983. While there are several variants, the most important in current front-line service is the Mirage F1CR which is a highly specialised reconnaissance platform carrying cameras, and optical and electronic sensors.

F-18 Hornet


F-18 Hornet

Crew: 1/2
Speed: 1.7 Mach
Weapons: Vulcan cannon. Four AIM-9M Sidewinders - supersonic, heat-seeking air-to-air missiles

The Canadian Air Force's front-line multi-role fighter used for air superiority and tactical support.

Canada has committed six Hornets to help enforce the no-fly zone. The Canadian jets were seen at Prestwick airport in Scotland on Saturday where they landed for a refuelling stop before heading towards the Mediterranean.

The aircraft is equipped with a sophisticated radar system that can track targets in all weather and from great distances. A Sniper Advanced Targeting pod, which contains an infra-red (heat-sensitive) camera and TV camera, allows pilots to see targets at night and in low visibility conditions.

The pod also has a laser designator to guide precision bombing, and a laser spot tracker. The newly acquired Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) allows the pilot to effectively designate targets anywhere around the aircraft.

Libya: Coalition launches attacks

French Rafale jets flew reconnaissance missions over Libya on Saturday before the bombing began

19 March 2011
Last updated at 20:42 GMT

The UK, the US and France have begun attacking Libya as enforcement of the UN-mandated no-fly zone gets under way.

More than 110 missiles have been fired by the UK and US, officials at the Pentagon say.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed that British planes are in action over Libya. Earlier, French planes destroyed Libyan vehicles.

Western planes bombed targets in the capital, Tripoli, said the AFP news agency, quoting witnesses and state TV.

US President Barack Obama, speaking during a visit to Brazil, said the US was taking "limited military action" as part of a "broad coalition".

"We cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people there will be no mercy," he said.

He repeated that no US ground troops would take part.

'Necessary'

A British submarine has fired a number of missiles at Libyan air defence targets, the Ministry of Defence said.

Mr Cameron said that launching military action against Libya was "necessary, legal and right".

Libyan state TV reported that what it called the "crusader enemy" had bombed civilian areas of Tripoli, as well as fuel storage tanks supplying the western city of Misrata.

Sources in Tripoli told BBC Arabic that the attacks on the city had so far targeted the eastern areas of Sawani, Airport Road, and Ghasheer. These are all areas believed to host military bases.

Libya conflict mapped

Key locations

After more than 40 years in power, Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi is facing the greatest threat to his rule. Rebels control much of the east of the country and pockets of resistance are spread across the country.

Unrest broke out across Libya on 16 February after the arrest of a human rights lawyer. Events quickly escalated with rebels seizing control of several coastal cities and senior Libyan diplomats defecting overseas. Col Gaddafi is firmly in control of the capital Tripoli, and his forces have made gains against the rebels in areas east and west of the city.

Explore the maps by clicking on the tabs above to see who controls what and where the latest clashes have occurred.

Gaddafi control

Col Gaddafi and those loyal to him remain in control of much of the west of the country, including the capital Tripoli, and have slowly fought their way eastwards towards the rebel bastion of Benghazi.

Tripoli

19 March: The capital remains firmly under the control of Gaddafi forces. Supporters of the Libyan leader stage rallies on a daily basis. Col Gaddafi gives interviews to TV channels, and his ministers are seen at news conferences.

However, some residents tell the BBC that a sense of fear and paranoia hangs over the Libyan capital, the country's main commercial centre and home to more than a million people. They say government forces have gone door-to-door rounding up suspected opposition figures and several people have simply disappeared. All telephone communications are being carefully monitored and the internet has been down for about two weeks, they say. Reliable information - aside from the government propaganda on state TV - is hard to come by, they add.
Sirte

19 March: Earlier this month, a relentless government barrage blocked rebels advancing east from Misrata towards Col Gaddafi's strategic hometown of Sirte. Pro-Gaddafi troops also surrounded the city from the west and south, residents said. Sirte is located halfway between the capital Tripoli and the rebel headquarters in Benghazi. It had become a symbolic prize targeted by the rebels. The city of 135,000 people is home to many ministerial headquarters and other government institutions.

Zawiya

19 March: Zawiya, a major oil refinery town just west of Tripoli, has been the scene of some of the heaviest clashes so far. In a joint statement on 18 March, the US, Britain and France called on Col Gaddafi to pull his troops out of Zawiya - along with Misrata and Ajdabiya - and to restore water, electricity and gas services in all areas.

Zawiya, just 50km (30 miles) west of Tripoli, was one of the few western places to rise against Col Gaddafi. The centre of the town has been completely devastated in the recent fighting. Last week, members of a team of journalists from BBC Arabic who tried to reach Zawiya were captured, beaten and subjected to a mock execution.

Other towns

The rebels have also been defeated in the central towns of Bin Jawad, Ras Lanuf and Brega in the last two weeks, their mostly light weapons little match for Col Gaddafi's jets, tanks and army.

As Gaddafi forces pushed east from Sirte into rebel-held territory, Bin Jawad fell on 7 March, followed by the key oil town of Ras Lanuf - one of the main revenue-generating centres in the country - on 12 March and Brega a day later.

In the west, near Libya's border with Tunisia, the small town of Zuwara fell to pro-Gaddafi forces on 15 March, after government forces attacked the rebels with tanks. Security forces were then trying to round up anyone suspected of links to the rebels, a resident said.

Rebel control

Rebels quickly seized control of many towns in the east of the country as protests swept across Libya in February, but have since found themselves losing their grip on many of them.

This part of the country has traditionally been opposed to Col Gaddafi's rule, and large elements of the military switched to the rebel side. But Col Gaddafi's army have far greater resources, including an airforce, and have pushed the rebels back.

On Saturday, 19 March, forces loyal to Col Gaddafi began attacking Benghazi, the main rebel base and a city of more than 670,000 people.

With the battle for Benghazi under way, only the towns to east of it - including Bayda, Derna and Tobruk, near the border with Egypt - remain under rebel control. However, if Benghazi were to fall, these would appear defenceless.

Recent clashes

Clashes between rebels and Gaddafi loyalists have occurred at a number of locations along the coast. The rebels are generally poorly organised and not as well armed as the Gaddafi military formations. However, they have kept up their struggle despite some setbacks.

Benghazi

19 March: Reports from Benghazi say forces loyal to Col Gaddafi are bombarding the city with rockets and heavy artillery. Reliable sources spoke of a pattern of loud explosions consistent with bombardment from tanks. Earlier, a fighter aircraft crashed inside the city, though it was unclear what had brought it down.

Hundreds of Benghazi residents have started to flee eastward, the AFP news agency reports, and information is scarce as some journalists have left the area for Tobruk, one of the easternmost towns, near the Libyan border with Egypt.

Pro-Gaddafi troops launched their first air raids on the rebel stronghold on Thursday. Benghazi is Libya's second city and in effect the rebel headquarters. Civilians set up the Transitional National Council there and have declared it the sole representative of the country.

Ajdabiya

19 March: Fighting raged around the disputed town of Ajdabiya on Friday, but rebels appeared to be holding out despite advances by government forces. Rebel leaders said that forces loyal to Col Gaddafi were hemming in the town on three sides, and shelling small villages on its outskirts. At least 30 people are said to have been killed in recent days and scores wounded. Many rebels have fled, but others have deployed heavy weapons and at least one fighter jet to push back government troops.

Ajdabiya is the last settlement of any size in the east on the road to Benghazi.

Misrata

19 March: Misrata - Libya's third-largest city and the last held by rebels in the west - has come under sustained assault despite the ceasefire announcement, residents say. Forces loyal to Col Gaddafi were firing artillery shells into the city on Saturday and water supplies were still cut off, a resident told Reuters news agency. Col Gaddafi's snipers were on rooftops and his forces were searching homes for rebels, a doctor told the Associated Press. He said he had counted 25 deaths at his hospital since Friday morning.

French military jets patrolling skies over Libya

A French Dassault Rafale combat aircraft,
seen in this photo released by ECPAD (French Defence communication and audiovisual production agency), takes off from Saint-Dizier military base, eastern France, March 19, 2011, on a mission to overfly Libya.

PARIS — As the international community launched aerial military missions against Libya on Saturday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the action amounts to an “act of war” that is critical to remove Moammar Gadhafi from power before he massacres any more of his own people.

Harper made the comments after an emergency summit of world leaders who had gathered to discuss how they will implement a United Nations-sanctioned no-fly zone to prevent Gadhafi’s suppression of civilians.

The coalition wasted no time, with French jets becoming the first, on Saturday, to begin enforcing the no-fly zone.

It was the first step in the largest international military exercise in the Arab world since the Iraq war.

A French Dassault Rafale combat aircraft is seen in this photo released by ECPAD (French Defence communication and audiovisual production agency) as it prepares to take off from Saint-Dizier military base, eastern France, March 19, 2011, on a mission to overfly Libya. Photograph by: Supplied, Reuters

The coalition has pledged to not resort to a ground invasion, hoping instead to use its military air support to help the anti-Gadhafi forces topple the dictator who has ruled Libya for 42 years.

The prime minister acknowledged that the military operation will be complex and could lead to casualties among the very civilians that nations are trying to protect, and perhaps among the military personnel being sent to Libya.

“We should not kid ourselves. Whenever you engage in military action — essentially acts of war — these are difficult situations,” Harper said.

“And we will have to monitor this very closely and be very careful what we do every step of the way.”

Canada has committed six CF-18 fighter jets, and a contingent of 140 pilots and support personnel. They have arrived in the region and a government spokesman said they could be ready within two days to participate in the aerial missions.

Harper stressed that Canada and its allies have no authorization to commit ground forces to the operation, nor do they have plans to do so.

“These campaigns are complicated and one cannot promise perfection. One cannot promise there will not be casualties on our side, either. But obviously, all precautions will be taken to minimize our own casualties and minimize those of innocent civilians.”

Nonetheless, Harper spoke forcefully about the need for people to understand what the alternative is if the international community does not intervene in the civil war now raging in Libya.

“We’re dealing with an individual and with a regime that will not be satisfied with the mere re-imposition of authority. The nature of this leader and the nature of his regime is they will massacre every single individual they even remotely suspect of disloyalty. This is an intolerable situation.”

The summit Saturday was hastily organized by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Among those in attendance were British Prime Minister David Cameron, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the leaders of the Arab League and African Union.

Sarkozy emerged from the summit with a pointed warning for Gadhafi: military jets had begun patrolling the Libyan skies and the intervention wouldn’t end until the ruler’s aggression ends.

“Arab people have chosen to free themselves,” he said. “It is our duty to respond to their anguished appeal.”

Sarkozy stressed that the international coalition now intervening has no intention of determining Libya’s future, but rather to protect civilian lives.

“We are intervening in order to enable the Libyan people to decide (their) own destiny,” said Sarkozy.

“The doors of diplomacy will open once again when the aggression stops.”

The emergency meeting came as the situation in Libya became increasingly unpredictable and perilous.

A wide range of nations, including Canada, announced Friday that they will contribute military assets — such as fighter jets — to enforce a no-fly zone over Libyan skies.

And while Gadhafi’s regime had promised a ceasefire, there were indications on Saturday that the fighting was continuing in Libya, with reports that government forces were moving into the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

A military jet — flown either by the regime’s air force or the rebels — was shot down in the city.

Meanwhile, Gadhafi sent a public message to the leaders gathering in Paris that he is not going to back down from his military plans to crush the revolt in his country.

He said other nations were not entitled to intervene in Libyan affairs and would regret the actions they are planning to take.

“Libya is not yours, Libya is for all Libyans,” Gadhafi was quoted by his spokesman as saying in a letter to France, Britain and the United Nations.

“This is injustice, it is clear aggression, and it is uncalculated risk for its consequences on the Mediterranean and Europe.”

“You will regret it if you take a step toward intervening in our internal affairs.”

The government spokesman also quoted Gadhafi in another letter written to United States President Barack Obama, warning that he and all other Libyans were “prepared to die” in the defence of their country.

“If you had found them taking over American cities with armed force, tell me what you would do?” said Gadhafi’s spokesman, reading from the letter at a news conference in Tripoli.

As they met Saturday, the national leaders who have formed the international military coalition against Gadhafi came under pressure to move quickly in the coming days.

They have the blessing of the United Nations Security Council, which passed a resolution Thursday to impose a no-fly zone and to take “all necessary measures” to protect Libyan civilians.

Little is known about how the military operation will evolve, but it’s expected the first steps will include attacks on Libyan air defences. It’s possible U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea would knock out Gadhafi’s radar and surface-to-air missile sites along Libya’s coastline.

That would clear the way for military jets to move in to strike any Libyan jets that are in the air. Moreover, it appears the coalition has the clearance to strike any Libyan military ground forces that are threatening civilians, including the rebels who have been doing battle with government forces.

Harper was accompanied at Saturday’s meeting by Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and Gen. Walt Natynczyk, the chief of defence staff.

The United States has not yet announced the full nature of its military commitment, although it is known that besides the air power that eventually will be needed, there are American submarines and surface ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles within striking distance of Libya.

Britain and France are both sending fighter jets for the mission and Italy is providing the use of some of its airbases.

mkennedy@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/Mark Kennedy
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French military jet opens fire in Libya

French President Nicolas Sarkozy
announces military action against Col Gaddafi's forces in Libya

A French plane has fired the first shots in Libya as enforcement of the UN-mandated no-fly zone begins.

The UK prime minister later confirmed British planes were also in action, while US media reports said the US had fired its first Cruise missiles.

The action came hours after Western and Arab leaders met in Paris to agree how to enforce the UN resolution.

It allows "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

'Stop the bombardment'

The French plane fired the first shot in Libya at 1645 GMT and destroyed its target, according to a military spokesman.

French planes also flew reconnaissance missions over "all Libyan territory", French military sources said earlier.

Around 20 French aircraft were involved in Saturday's operation, the Reuters news agency reports.

French jets "destroyed a number of tanks and armoured vehicles", a defence ministry official told Reuters, adding that he could not immediately confirm the number.

Other air forces and navies are expected to join the French.

The US would use its "unique capabilities" to reinforce the no-fly zone, said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, warning that further delays would put more civilians at risk. However, Mrs Clinton said again that the US would not deploy ground troops in Libya.

A naval blockade is also being put in place, said Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. France is sending its Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Libyan coast, a military spokesman said.

In other developments:

* Italy has offered the use of seven of its military bases which already house US, Nato and Italian forces.

* Canada says its fighter jets have now reached the region but will need two days to prepare for any missions.

Earlier, pro-Gaddafi forces had attacked the rebel stronghold of Benghazi - although the Libyan government denied launching any assault.

The international community was intervening to stop the "murderous madness" of Col Gaddafi, Mr Sarkozy said.

"In Libya, the civilian population, which is demanding nothing more than the right to choose their own destiny, is in mortal danger," he warned. "It is our duty to respond to their anguished appeal."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Libya's claims to have implemented a ceasefire were "troubling", the AFP news agency reported.

The lack of confidence was so great that he did not trust what the Libyan leadership was saying, Mr Ban added.

Russia regretted the decision by Western powers to take military action, a foreign ministry spokesman said. Russia abstained from the UN vote on the Libya resolution, but did not use its veto.

The rebels' leader had earlier appealed to the international community to stop the bombardment by pro-Gaddafi forces.

A jet also appears to have been shot down over Benghazi. A rebel spokesman was quoted as saying the downed jet was a rebel plane.

Reports from Benghazi suggest hundreds of cars packed with people were fleeing eastwards as fighting spread.

The United Nations refugee agency says it is preparing to receive 200,000 people fleeing the fighting, amid reports of hundreds of cars full of people heading for the Egyptian border, while others are attempting to flee on foot.

The first families had arrived at the Egyptian border, extremely frightened and traumatised, saying some of their homes have been completely flattened said UNHCR spokeswoman Elizabeth Tan.

However, the BBC's Ben Brown, who is at the border, says so far there are a handful of families, in addition to the migrant workers who have been there since the crisis started.