All in all, some 20 airplanes are conducting the first missions over libya
11h00 AM 4 Rafale C (Provence squadron) armed with mica missiles left the Saint Dizier Air base to enforce the No Flight Zone over Libya (UN resolution 1973)
11h10 AM A patrol of 2 more Rafale B with a Reco-NG pod left the Dizier Air base for a recce mission over Libya.
02h30 PM 2 mirage 2000D (Ardennes squadron / Nancy Air Base) escorted by 2 mirage 2000-5 (Cigognes squadron / Dijon Air Base) as well as 2 Rafale with AASM bombs rejoin Libya for CAS operations
Other air assets taking part in this first day : 6 French Boeing C135 (Bretagne squadron) and 1 E-3F from Istres and Avor Air bases.
EA-18G Growler with their 2 ALQ-99 jaming pods ready to take off |
At 05h45PM, the French MoD revealed that one of those fighters shot at a military Libyan vehicule.
Edit 1 : Qatar TV, Al Jazzeera is reporting that at least 4 Libyan tanks would have been detroyed by French fighters.
Edit 2 : It is now confirmed that a Rafale B from the Gascogne squadron has attaked a Libyan tank column with its AASM bombs detroying 4 of them.
French fighters engaged in the first stage of the operations over Libya |
Source: Press conference of the French defense Ministry.
BBC News
Thanks to Tmor for additional info ;)
This would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the update.