International forces sent to Libya update March 19, 2011
France: —Deployed eight Rafale and four Mirage jets to survey rebel-held Benghazi; one fired on a Libyan military vehicle in first military strike of operation. —Six C-135 refueling tankers —1 AWACS surveillance plane —Deploying the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the region Sunday from Toulon. —Also envisages using anti-air frigates Jean-Bart and Forbin, anti-submarine frigate Dupleix, the Aconit frigate and a refueling ship La Meuse.
Canada: —Sent six F-18s to Italy base; 140 military personnel involved. —Frigate HMCS Charlottetown is in Mediterranean for possible staging ground for Canadian forces.
United States: —Prepared to launch missile attacks on Libyan air defenses but so far not participating in initial air missions. —Has two guided-missile destroyers in the Mediterranean, the USS Barry and USS Stout, two amphibious warships, the USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce, and a command-and-control ship, the USS Mount Whitney. The submarine USS Providence was also in the Mediterranean. —Witnesses reported five F-18s, two C-17s and a C-130 cargo plane arrived at U.S. air base at Aviano in northern Italy, which is home to the 31st Fighter Wing.
Denmark: —Six F-16s arrived at U.S. air base in Sigonella, Sicily and could be deployed as early as Sunday; 132 support staff.
Italy: —Offered use of seven military bases: U.S. air bases at Sigonella, Sicily and Aviano in northern Italy; Italian air bases in Amendola near Foggia, Decimomannu in Sardinia, Gioia del Colle near Bari, base on Sicilian island of Pantelleria, and the military airport of Trapani, Sicily. —Proposed NATO base in Naples serve as coordination point for operation. —Says it has four anti-radar and anti-missile Tornados and six other aircraft available to fly with 15 minutes notice. —Aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi off Sicily with eight aircraft aboard.
Spain: —Sent four F-18s and a Boeing 707 refueling plane to Italy base. —Deploying a submarine, naval frigate and a surveillance plane. —Placed two bases at NATO’s disposal, Rota and Moron de la Frontera, where several U.S. Air Force planes were seen Friday.
Britain: —Said it would send Typhoon and Tornado jets to air bases, but no British fighter assets have yet been deployed, the Ministry of Defense said. —Britain’s air base in southern Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, supporting AWACS surveillance aircraft and has a team of personnel there to coordinate British aircraft movement. —Two British frigates, HMS Westminster and HMS Cumberland, are in the Mediterranean off Libya’s coast.
Norway: —Offered six F-16s, with around 100 support staff, but operational capabilities five-six days off. —Considering contributing an Orion maritime surveillance plane.
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Gaddafi’s Libyan Air Force inventory : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_Air_Force
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