Operation Harmattan

Super-Etendard and Rafale aircraft before take-off on the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (2007 photo).

On the first day of Operation Harmattan, Libyan self-propelled howitzers of the Italian type Palmaria were destroyed off Benghazi (photo April 18, 2011).

Russian BM-21 Grad rocket launcher in the same place.

Opération Harmattan was the French participation in the international military operation in Libya in 2011 . The name refers to the Harmattan , hot dry winds in the Sahara between March and November.

During the civil war in Libya , the establishment of a no-fly zone and the protection of the civilian population was proposed by a Western alliance to the UN Security Council , which it authorized on March 17 in Resolution 1973 . A number of countries, including France, met at a conference in Paris on March 19 and agreed on immediate military action.

On the afternoon of March 19, Rafale fighter jets of the French Air Force began as the first coalition forces to attack Libyan units, destroying a unit of self-propelled howitzers and rocket launchers off Benghazi .

Deployed units

• French Air Force
  • 5 × Rafale fighter planes from the EC 01.007 province, stationed at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily
  • 6 × Mirage 2000-5 combat aircraft of the EC 01.002 Cigogne, Dijon - Longvic Air Base
  • 6 × Mirage 2000D combat bombers from EC 03.003 Ardennes, Nancy - Ochey Air Base
  • 2 × Mirage F1CR reconnaissance aircraft from ER 02.033 Savoie, Reims - Champagne Air Base
  • 6 × Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tanker aircraft of GRV 02.093 Bretagne, Istres-Le Tubé Air Base
  • A Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft from the 36ème EDCA, Avord Air Base
  • A Transall C-160 SIGINT with electronic monitoring devices from EET 01.054 Dunkerque, Metz-Frescaty Air Base
  • Commando Parachutiste de l'Air units (Commando parachutiste de l'air n ° 20 and Commando parachutiste de l'air n ° 30), stationed at Solenzara Air Base, Corsica
• French Navy
  • Task Force 473
    • Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R 91)
      • 10 × Rafale M fighter planes
      • 6 × Dassault Super Étendard aircraft
      • 2 × Grumman E-2 air surveillance aircraft
      • 2 × Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin multipurpose helicopters
      • 2 × Aérospatiale Alouette III support helicopters
      • Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma and 2 × Eurocopter EC725 transport helicopters
    • Anti-aircraft destroyer 'Forbin' (D620)
    • Anti-aircraft destroyer 'Chevalier Paul'
    • Anti-aircraft destroyer 'Jean Bart'
    • Anti-submarine destroyer 'Georges Leygues'
    • Anti-submarine destroyer 'Dupleix'
    • Frigate 'aconite'
    • Frigate 'Courbet'
    • Supply tanker 'Meuse'
    • Améthyste tactical nuclear submarine
  • Helicopter carrier 'Tonnerre'
    • 14 × Aérospatiale Gazelle
    • 4 × Eurocopter Tiger
    • 2 × Eurocopter Puma
  • 2 × Atlantique 2 SIGINT aircraft

timeline

March 19, 2011

The anti- aircraft destroyer Forbin and the frigate Jean Bart were already stationed off the Libyan coast when the operation begins.

The French Air Force begins its mission at 12:30 UTC with the launch of eight Rafale and two Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets and support units from Solenzara Airport in Corsica , 1,440 km from Benghazi.

The eight Rafale arrive in Benghazi with the task of stopping the advance of Gaddafi-loyal ground troops on the city. The shelling of military vehicles begins at 4:45 p.m.

The English Telegraph reports on the basis of press reports from the French armed forces that four armored vehicles southwest of Benghazi were destroyed by the attack.
The Arab TV channel Al Jazeera reported on March 20 about a column of destroyed tanks, rocket launchers and troop transports that were destroyed in the attack, and shows residents of the city who look at the camera with "Merci, Sarkozy" French President thank.

Subsequent combat missions will be flown from Solenzara airport .

March, 20th

French planes operate eleven flights (sorties) over Libya.

The naval unit around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle - Task Force 473 - is sent from Toulon to the Libyan coast.

March 21st

So far 55 flights have been carried out over Libya. The French Ministry of Defense claims that a Mirage 2000-D destroyed a tank 100 km south of Benghazi.

March 22

From the Charles de Gaulle , aircraft take off for the first time for use over Libya, starting with reconnaissance and patrol missions by Rafale F3s . The Forbin and the Jean Bart join the Task Force 473 . With the arrival of two more Mirage 2000-5s and two Mirage 2000Ds, a total of 20 combat aircraft are now stationed at Solenzara Air Base 126, including the support units from Saint-Dizier and Avord.

March 23

Rafale and Mirage 2000D from Solenzara and Rafale and Super-Etendard units of Charles de Gaulle fly reconnaissance and support missions over Libya.

March 24th

Rafale and Mirage 2000D attack a Libyan air force base 250 km south of the Mediterranean coast with Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Rafale, Mirage 2000D and Super-Etendard units also fly joint missions against Libyan ground forces. A Rafale wrecks a Libyan Soko G-2 Galeb light fighter aircraft with air-to-surface missiles as it lands at Misrata . A group of two Mirage 2000Ds armed with GBU-12 laser-guided precision bombs attack pro - government artillery units near Ajdabiya .

25th March

Qatar Air Force aircraft participating in Operation Odyssey Dawn are conducting reconnaissance flights with French units in the Misrata , Sintan , Sirte and Ajdabiya areas . Four Mirage 2000Ds attack pro-government artillery forces near Ajdabiya. Two French and two Qatari Mirage 2000-5s are conducting air interception missions. Three Mirage 2000-5s are being relocated from Solenzara to Souda Air Base in Crete .

26th of March

French fighter planes carry out a series of air strikes around Sintan and Misrata, destroying at least five Soko G-2 Galeb light fighters and two Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters on the ground. French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s continue their joint reconnaissance flights from Souda Air Base.

27th of March

Air Force and Navy Rafale planes attack a government command center near Tripoli. French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s continue their patrol and air interception missions from Souda Air Base. The number of Mirage 2000-5s in Souda is increased to four.

28th March

French air operations target the Sintan and Misrata region. Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds, together with super-Etendards of the Navy, bomb an ammunition depot of the government units near Gharyan, 100 km south of Tripoli. Mirage F1CRs conduct reconnaissance missions for the first time.

March 29

Two patrols from Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds and one from Marine-Rafales and Super-Etendards attack anti-aircraft missile positions 100 km southwest of Tripoli. Two joint patrols of the French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s are flying air interception missions. Mirage 2000Ds and Super-Etendards bomb a military depot 30 km south of Tripoli.

March 30

A joint combat group of the Air Force and the Navy attacks anti-aircraft missile positions of the Libyan government 20 km south of Sirte . A patrol of two French and four Qatari Mirage 2000-5s is conducting air surveillance missions.

March 31

At 06:00 GMT, NATO takes command of all operations in Libya, which are now taking place as part of Operation Unified Protector - see International Military Deployment in Libya 2011 .

See also

• Chronicle of the civil war in Libya
• International military operation in Libya 2011
• UN Security Council Resolution 1973

Individual evidence

1. ^ French Ministry of Defense declaration . Retrieved March 19, 2011.
2. ↑ Harmattan . Encyclopedua Britannica. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
3. ↑ http://www.un.org/Depts/german/sr/sr_11/sr1973.pdf ( Memento from July 26, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
4. ↑ Operation Ellamy: Designed to strike from air and sea , The Independent. Retrieved March 19, 2011. 
5. ^ ^{A b} Libya: British forces fire missiles at Gaddafi , Telegraph. March 11, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
6. ^ ^{A b} France Deploys About 20 Aircraft to Enforce Libya No-Fly Zone , Defense News. March 19, 2011. 
7. ↑ ^{a b c d} Libye: point de situation opération Harmattan n ° 11 . French Ministry of Defense. March 29, 2011. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
8. ↑ Libye: The Mirage F1 CR entrent en piste . Zone Militaire. March 29, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
9. ^ Libye: la base aérienne de Solenzara sous haute protection . French Ministry of Defense. March 28, 2011. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
10. ^ Libye: appareillage du porte-avions Charles de Gaulle . French Ministry of Defense. March 20, 2011. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
11. ↑ ^{a b c} Libye: première mission aérienne pour la TF 473 . French Ministry of Defense. March 22, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
12. ↑ French Destroyer Forbin Joins Kearsarge ESG | United States Africa Command . In: africom.mil . Retrieved August 16, 2013.
13. ^ L'operation Harmattan . French Ministry of Defense. March 26, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
14. ^ French nuclear submarine arrives in Malta , Malta Independent. March 30, 2011. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved on September 8, 2013. 
15. ^ Libye: début des opérations aériennes françaises . French Ministry of Defense. March 19, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
16. ^ Opération Harmattan, le nom de code militaire pour la Libye , Secret Defense. March 19, 2011. Archived from the original on March 21, 2011. Retrieved on September 8, 2013. 
17. ↑ Al Jazeera Deutsch: Rejoicing In Libya's Benghazi , uploaded March 20, 2011
18. ↑ ^{a b c} Libye: point de situation de l'opération Harmattan n ° 2 . French Ministry of Defense. March 20, 2011. Archived from the original on March 24, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
19. ↑ Libye: Déjà 55 sorties pour les avions de l'armée de l'Air | Zone Militaire
20. ↑ Le Figaro - Flash Actu: L'aviation française a détruit un blindé
21. ^ Libye: l'opération Harmattan marquée par l'engagement de la TF473 et la montée en puissance de la BA 126 . French Ministry of Defense. March 22, 2011. Archived from the original on March 26, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
22. ↑ Libye: point de situation opération Harmattan n ° 5 . French Ministry of Defense. March 23, 2011. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
23. ^ French planes hit Libyan base in overnight raid: France , Agence France-Presse. March 24, 2011. 
24. ↑ ^{a b} ibye: point de situation opération Harmattan n ° 6 . French Ministry of Defense. March 24, 2011. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
25. ↑ French fighter destroys Libya military jet: France , Agence France-Presse. March 24, 2011. 
26. ↑ ^{a b c} Libye: point de situation opération Harmattan n ° 7 . French Ministry of Defense. March 25, 2011. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
27. ↑ Libye: point de situation opération Harmattan n ° 8 . French Ministry of Defense. March 26, 2011. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
28. ↑ ^{a b} Libye: point de situation opération Harmattan n ° 10 . French Ministry of Defense. March 27, 2011. Archived from the original on August 30, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
29. ↑ ^{a b} Libye: point de situation opération Harmattan n ° 12 . French Ministry of Defense. March 30, 2011. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
30. ↑ Libye: point de situation opération Harmattan n ° 13 . French Ministry of Defense. March 31, 2011. Archived from the original on August 1, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.

Web links

 Wikinews: en: French aircraft on flights over Libya; US missiles launched at targets  - message

• Official dossier of the French Ministry of Defense on Opération Harmattan (fr) (PDF; 768 kB)