Cameron's Plan For No-Fly Zone Over Libya

5 Hours Ago:USAF RC-135W Rivet Joint airborne and overhead Mediterranean Sea as TUBBY22 at FL310 for SIGINT.

3 Hours Ago:B-1B bombers airborne BONE34/BONE35/BONE37 Ellsworth AFB [KRCA] overhead Atlantic 45N 30W next contact Shanwick on 5598.0 or 8906.0.


2 Hours Ago:6 UAE AF F-16F Block 60 and 6 UAE AF Mirage 2000-9 deployed today to Decimomannu airbase, Italy, to take part in Operation odysseydawn.

Canadian Armed Forces CC-150 tail nr 15005 as PETRO14 now FL310, track 150 direct LUMED and still visible on flightradar24.

Formation of USAF F-15E's as TITAN 41 RTB Aviano AB FL150.

1 Hour Ago:B-1B bombers BONE34/BONE35/BONE37 Ellsworth AFB heading waypoint KOMUT 38°0'0N 15°0'0W just switched LISBOA ACC 128.900 Mhz.

SOLEX61, RAF Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1, airborne SOUDA BAY, currently working Malta ACC just before switching tactical.

VICE 31, USAF Lockheed AC-130U gunship overhead Mediterranean.

PHANTOM11 formation of 4 Danish fighters F-16AM ESK726 from Aalborg went tactical.

2 Hours Ago:USAF AC-130U gunship airborne and overhead Mediterranean as SOAP 31.

1 Hour Ago:USAF RC-135V Rivet Joint mode-S identifying today as FNKDY23 SIGINT.

CHAOS 63 formation Boeing EA-18G Growler VAQ-132 overhead Mediterranean working Malta ACC.

Formation of 2 USAF F-15E from RAF Lakenheath operating from Aviano AB as STRIKE 27 are no enroute back to Aviano AB.

Earlier This Morning:

CET

07.15 STRIKE23 F-15E airborne Aviano.
07.35 CHAOS65 EF-18G rtb Aviano.
07.35 WEASEL01 F-16 SP airborne Aviano.
07.40 VIPER01 F-16 AV airborne Aviano.
08.45 CHAOS61 EF-18G airborne Aviano-will refuel in Echo5 with MOBILE05 tanker.
09.50 VIPER03 F-16 AV airborne Aviano-inbound Echo5 for MOBILE05 tanker.
10.10 BOLAR01 F-15E airborne Aviano-inbound Echo5.
10.20 CHAOS61 unable to refuel, rtb Aviano.
11.00 BOLAR03 F-15E airborne Aviano-inbound Echo5.


10.02 Tartan47 RAF VC-10, squawk 5647 IFR to RAF Akrotiri.
10.06 Wizard31 RAF NimrodR1 "XV249" IFR to RAF Akrotiri.



More:

10.37 Monster66,RAF Tornado inbound Gioa, squawk 5266 --> NEW CallSign.
10.39 Mammut60 B707 Spanish Air Force.
10.39 Poker45 EF-18 Spanish Air Force.
10.40 Lince01 Italian Air Force Tornado.
10.59 Viper03 F-16 Aviano Air Base-squawk 3402 going tactical.
11.12 Titan25 EF2000 Italian Air Force going tactical.
11.13 Aurora1 CP140 AURORA Canadian Air Force.

At 15:51:
Havoc73 RAF Typhoon requested directly to Sigonella because inflight emergency (oxygen emergency) rest of Typhoons going to Gioa del Colle, after emergency was declared Havoc73 then re-routed to Trapani AB as he was uncertain he could successfully get to Sigonella with current fuel state.


19.24 Boar01 A-10 Spangdahlem AB direct to Aviano.
20.22 Aurora01 CP-140 AURORA CAF to Brindisi freq.
20.23 Texaco01 KC-135, to Athens 124.625.
20.32 Phantom13 F-16 RDAF squawk 5252, direct to Sigonella.
20.33 Phantom11 F-16 RDAF squawk 5311, direct to Sigonella.
20.37 Forte10 RQ-4B, first checked in as Condor10, squawk 5253.
20.43 FAF4031 C-135FR, going tactical.
20.43 RCH258 KC-135R, blocking frequency with open mic.

**NEW IN THEATRE**

Royal Jordanian Air Force have deployed F-16's to USAFE Aviano AB, The Swedish Component will be stationed at Decimomannu.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/RafIstarSquadronsKeepWatchOverLibya.htm

**ARTICLE**

RAF ISTAR squadrons keep watch over Libya
A Military Operations news article
1 Apr 11



A Sentinel Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) aircraft from No 5 (Army Cooperation) Squadron
[Picture: Senior Aircraftman Andy Holmes, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

When UN Security Council Resolution 1973 was declared to establish a no-fly zone over Libya, the RAF's Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft moved quickly into action in the region.

The ISTAR squadrons, which are normally based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, adroitly changed tack from Operation DEFERENCE, supporting the evacuation of foreign and UK nationals, to Operation ELLAMY, supporting the enforcement of a no-fly zone in Libyan airspace.

The ISTAR 'eyes' initially comprised of No 8 Squadron's Sentry E-3D AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft and the 'ears' were provided by No 51 Squadron's Nimrod R1 aircraft. The Sentries had earlier played a crucial role on Op DEFERENCE as command and control platforms for the Hercules aircraft which landed on Libyan desert airstrips to rescue stranded oil workers, and so were already best placed to support Op ELLAMY.

Just before ELLAMY started, Sentry aircraft had begun an 'understanding phase' of operations in the area. Group Captain Chris Jones, Waddington's Station Commander and Commander of 907 Expeditionary Air Wing now established at RAF Akrotiri, explained:

"The understanding phase is a defined mission where you have airborne capabilities maintaining position in an area and they are able to see and hear what's going on. By providing indications of activity you develop an understanding of the way a piece of airspace is being used or of the way ground forces might be employed."

Later, the Nimrod R1s, with their ability to monitor communications, were also deployed in support of the RAF's burgeoning ISTAR activity.

The Sentry's capabilities and vital utility to an air-centric operation like ELLAMY are clear; at its heart is the massive rotating Northrop Grumman radar dome that sits atop the fuselage.

This and other sensors allow the crew of eighteen to provide military commanders with real-time surveillance of Libyan airspace and of the Mediterranean Sea. And with its ability to link into a multitude of networks as a communications hub its capabilities are pivotal to the command and control of RAF and coalition combat aircraft enforcing the no-fly zone.

Within 24 hours of combat operations commencing within the no-fly zone, Waddington's latest ISTAR aircraft, the Sentinel, began to play its part. The aircraft, from No 5 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, added its sophisticated array of sensors to the ISTAR mix by surveilling ground activity in Libya.

More subtly perhaps, the Sentinel can also detect changes or differences in 'patterns of life', with the aircraft's skilled sensor operators on board the aircraft able to analyse the data and imagery to find that 'needle in a haystack'.

A Sentinel image analyst recalled one mission from last week when she was tasked to watch ground activity in a region of Libya:

"You learn to discount what is normal. I knew what our target was when we started looking through that area. It just looked out of place; it shouldn't have been there. And when I looked in I was sure of what it was."

The information was passed to a Sentry aircraft where fighter-controllers on board gave the job of investigating 'what it was' to one of the fast jets policing the skies. It turned out to be a missile system, which was promptly destroyed.

Unlike the Op HERRICK counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan, the situation in Libya is much more of an air-centric operation. For the Commanding Officer of No 5 (Air Cooperation) Squadron, Wing Commander Rich Barrow, the Sentinel's work in Libya is proving every bit as valuable as its continuing commitment to Op HERRICK. He said:

"The use of ISTAR and intelligence in particular to try and understand those situations, to gain insights into what's going on on the ground is absolutely essential.

"Only with that can we go in with the confidence that we are doing the right thing and ensuring the right outcomes."

Commenting on the nature of the air missions and the personnel under his command Group Captain Jones said:

"It's been change upon change, reacting to a very dynamic situation on the ground, reacting as well to international scrutiny and making sure that you get it right; allowing us to adapt and learn very quickly.

"I think it is a testimony to the professionalism of all those involved in the air and on the ground in support roles that they have shown that they can do that. On every task we've produced the results, on every sortie."

20 Hours Ago: A very "secret" Aircraft landed at Malta,


That is her arriving at Malta..

Operator: Tepper Aviation - N3796B.
Aircraft: Lockheed - L-100 Hercules 382G.
C/N5027.

Tepper Aviation has a long association with the CIA.

She overnighted then bugged out. She can in certain times be viewed on Flightaware but 99% of the time tracking is denied per request from the owner/operator.

11 Hours Ago: Algerian Air Force Il-76MD tail:7T-WIA C/N 0083489674 was mentioned on a weapons delivery. She was noted apparently heading Alma Ata Airport, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

7 Hours Ago:

Formation of French Air Force Rafale fighters callsign CHELBY15 returning to LFKS Solenzara France.

Royal Netherlands Air Force formation of F-16MLU airborne as BLAST31 overhead Mediterranean.

Belgian Air Force ( BAC ) formation of F-16AM fighters from Kleine Brogel AB Belgium, airborne TDY Araxos Greece as MACE43Flight.

Royal Netherlands Air Force formation of F-16MLU as BLAST31 switching tactical.

Formation of French Air Force Aircraft FAF7002 checking in at waypoint LUMED 130.975 MHz next waypoint DIGOS.

U.S. extends Libya airstrike role by 48 hours

By Richard Lardner - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Apr 3, 2011 16:37:36 EDT

WASHINGTON — The U.S. agreed to NATO’s request for a 48-hour extension of American participation in coalition airstrikes against targets in Libya and U.S. lawmakers cautioned Sunday the allies need to know more about the rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi’s forces before providing them with weapons.

Two weeks into the assault on Gadhafi, Republican lawmakers expressed concern that a stalemate could leave him in control of portions of Libya and with access to stockpiles of chemical weapons.

The U.S. is shifting the combat role to Britain, France and other NATO allies, but American air power is still in demand. Air Force AC-130 gunships and A-10 Thunderbolts and Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers will continue to attack Gadhafi’s troops and other sites through Monday evening. These aircraft are among the most precise in the American arsenal.

After Saturday, no U.S. combat aircraft were to fly strike missions over Libya unless NATO officials specifically asked and authorities in Washington gave their approval. NATO assumed full control last week from the U.S.-led international force for all aspects of the operation in Libya as authorized by U.N. resolutions that include an arms embargo, enforcing the no-fly zone, and protecting civilians from Gadhafi’s forces.

In an emailed statement, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said Sunday that “poor weather conditions over the last few days” were the reason the alliance made the request. She would not elaborate. “This is a short-term extension which expires on Monday,” she said.

A senior U.S. military official said heavy cloud cover over Libya late last week curtailed allied airstrikes. Gadhafi took advantage of the lull, pushing east into the port cities of Ras Lanouf and Brega, the official said on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military planning. The 48-hour extension is intended to roll back the progress made by Gadhafi’s army, the official said.

A decision yet to be made by the Obama administration is whether to arm the rebels with the firepower they need to take and hold ground against Gadhafi’s forces.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said there may be strains of al-Qaida within the rebel ranks and that the coalition should proceed with caution before arming them.

“We know they’re against Moammar Gadhafi remaining in power, but we don’t know what they are for,” Rogers said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid advocated a “wait and see” approach to giving the opposition forces weapons.

“I think at this stage we really don’t know who the leaders of this rebel group are,” said Reid, D-Nev.

But Rogers also warned that if there were a stalemate in Libya, a cornered Gadhafi might resort to extreme measures against the opposition forces, such as the use of chemical weapons. Rogers said he has been to Libya and seen Gadhafi’s chemical weapons.

“I think you have to worry that he’s a terrorist threat,” Rogers said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the coalition needs to take the air war to Libya’s capital where Gadhafi and his inner circle are located. Striking targets in Tripoli will further fracture Gadhafi’s government and push the Libyan leader from power, he said.

“The way to end this war is to have Gadhafi’s inner circle to crack,” Graham said. “The way to get his inner circle to crack is to go after them directly.”

Like Rogers, Graham said he’s concerned over the prospect of a stalemate in Libya. A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he faulted President Barack Obama for putting the U.S. into a supporting role and shifting the main combat burden to Britain, France and other NATO allies.

“To take the best air force in the world and park it during this fight is outrageous,” Graham said. “When we called for a no-fly zone, we didn’t mean our planes.”

Allied military operations against Gadhafi’s forces began March 19 with missiles and bombs targeting Libya’s air defenses, communications networks, and ground forces. Obama has ruled out the use of U.S. ground troops in Libya. But the opposition lacks the proper organization and equipment to push back Gadhafi’s army on its own.

Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said failing to arm the rebels could allow Gadhafi to maintain control over large swaths of Libya.

“We are concerned that regional support will waver if Western forces are perceived as presiding over a military deadlock,” McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, wrote Friday in The Wall Street Journal. “We cannot allow Gadhafi to consolidate his grip over part of the country and settle in for the long haul.”

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in congressional testimony on Thursday that as few as 1,000 among the rebels are former members of Gadhafi’s military.

The rest are simply “guys with guns,” said James Dubik, a retired Army three-star general who says they need American or NATO advisers and trainers to be effective. “They need help,” Dubik wrote in an assessment for the Institute for the Study of War, a think tank in Washington.

Rogers appeared Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Reid and Graham appeared on CBS’s “Face The Nation.