Libya - UN no-fly zone - Operations

[aviodromefriend]

Runways are easy to damage but also easy to repair.

That depends on the quality of those repairs, (remember the Falklands) and if sufficient material is available to carry out those repairs.

[Antilliaan]

BBC reports today:

France meanwhile said it had destroyed at least five military planes and two helicopters at Misrata air base on Saturday.

[Antilliaan]

Al Jazeera:
The French armed forces said around 20 French aircraft supported by an AWACS surveillance plane struck targets during the day on Saturday, including five Galeb fighter jets and two MI-35 helicopters on the ground outside Misurata.

[Arjan]

Belgian F-16's struck a ground target in Libya today. No details are released except that the mission was succesfull.

[John 312]

BBC reports today:

France meanwhile said it had destroyed at least five military planes and two helicopters at Misrata air base on Saturday.

Date: 26-MAR-2011
Time:
Type: 5x Soko Galeb, 2x Mil Mi-35
Operator: Libyan Air Force
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Misurata - Libya
Phase: Standing
Nature: Military
Departure airport: -
Destination airport: -
Narrative:
It is reported that five to six Soko G-4 Galeb aircrafts and two Mil Mi-35 helicopters were destroyed on the ground by a French bomb attack.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_Air_Force

[zerofive]

A6 Intruder????

http://wwww.ansa.it/web/notizie/regioni ... 69850.html

ANCONA, 28 MAR - Landing d' emergency for two military airplane from attack USA, two A6-Intruder, this morning nell' airport of Ancona-Falconara.
One of the two aircrafts, taken off with their armaments of the base of Aviano for the mission in Libia, has had fuel problems, and has asked to land, in brace with l' other. The two Intruder is still stops in track: the pilots have exceeded their mount hours of flight, and will come replaced from others two top gun, in arrival from Aviano.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.luchtvaart.tv/video.php?id=13590 has video of a Belgian F-16 bombing -and destroying a Libyan Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer. This happened last Sunday.

[cis]

I think the a/c destroyed is NOT a Su-24 (Fencer), but a Su-17/Su-22 (Fitter)

[Stefan]

I think the a/c destroyed is NOT a Su-24 (Fencer), but a Su-17/Su-22 (Fitter)

i agree, and the Standaard seems to agree as well:
http://standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx ... 110330_177

Regards,
Stefan

[Coati]

Seems like a decoy or wfu aircraft, since it is parked at the edge of the tarmac...not a likely spot for an operational aircraft.

[Wildpicture]

Seems like a decoy or wfu aircraft, since it is parked at the edge of the tarmac...not a likely spot for an operational aircraft.

Indeed not the most "FOD-safe" place. Although this FOD is in a different class.
The first explosion and relatively small damage to the aircraft seems to indicate it was hit by a missile and not a bomb. Even a mk82 would create a bigger explosion and a crater. Do the Belgians carry mavericks?

[Stratofreighter]

http://key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=3042&t ... n=military

RAF ‘stretched’, says Chief

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton says the RAF is feeling the effect of continuing operations.

Gary Parsons - 4-Apr-2011

April 4: In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, the Royal Air Force Chief of Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, said the air force was feeling the effect of continuing operations in Afghanistan and Libya.

"On current planning, we can continue in Afghanistan, the Falklands and Libya with what we have got.

But that does bring you nearer the point that you have just about exhausted the bag.

It's a heck of a lot to be doing at one time," he said, adding that the projections envisage being involved in Operation Ellamy over Libya for no more than six months

[wamovements]

A couple of mikes ago, some Spang aircraft went up from Aviano (4x A-10, 2x F-16)
Beside that 14 AV F-16's departed of which only a single one returend, most probably not "OOD" related

Edit: second AV-bird aircraft returned to LIPA as well

Regards
Dennis

[Stefan]

Found an interesting link:

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_71994.htm

This shows the following missions being flown (a summary that is):

Sorties conducted 4 April: 150
Strike sorties conducted 4 April: 58

Sorties conducted 7 April: 155
Strike sorties conducted 7 April: 54

Sorties conducted 12 April: 159
Strike sorties conducted 12 April: 60

Sorties conducted 13 April: 153
Strike sorties conducted 13 April: 58

Sorties conducted 15 April: 145
Strike sorties conducted 15 April: 58

Sorties conducted 16 April: 144
Strike sorties conducted 16 April: 42

Sorties conducted 17 April: 145
Strike sorties conducted 17 April: 60

So, around 150 missions being flown daily. This means that you can conclude that the number of activities at each individual base is very limited (considering 24/7 operations).

Regards,
Stefan

[Stefan]

Sorties conducted 18 April: 143
Strike sorties conducted 18 April: 53