UK MoD: Libya operational update - 12 September 2011

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Major General Nick Pope, the Chief of the Defence Staff’s Communications Officer, said:

"British aircraft have again conducted long range strikes against some of Colonel Qadhafi’s remaining military bases during recent days, as NATO continues Operation Unified Protector to enforce UNSCR 1973.

"On Thursday, Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s participated with other allied aircraft in a major strike by NATO against a significant command and control facility located near Birak, over 400 miles south of Tripoli, in the Sahara. NATO surveillance had demonstrated that the site, much used by the Qadhafi regime in the past, was once more in active use as a military headquarters. Numerous military targets within the compound were destroyed. A similar long range Storm Shadow attack was also launched by GR4s on Saturday – again, flying from RAF Marham in Norfolk – to hit a major military staging post used by Qadhafi’s troops in the town of Sebha, 30 miles from Birak.

"RAF aircraft also helped NATO maintain its armed reconnaissance patrols over other parts of the country, and on Friday afternoon Tornado and Typhoon aircraft destroyed a command and control installation near Hun in central Libya. On Saturday morning, a similar mission spotted a former regime main battle tank at Bani Walid, firing from a concealed position. A Paveway guided bomb from a Typhoon destroyed the tank. The same patrol subsequently located a multiple rocket launcher nearby, hidden in a tree line, and destroyed that vehicle as well with a further Paveway."
UK forces currently deployed on this operation include:

· RAF Tornado and Typhoon aircraft based at Gioia del Colle in Italy
· RAF VC10 and Tristar air-to-air refuelling tankers, based in Sicily and the UK
· RAF Sentry and Sentinel surveillance aircraft, based in Sicily and Cyprus
· HMS Ocean (helicopter carrier)
· HMS Liverpool (Type 42 destroyer)
· HMS Bangor (Sandown class minehunter)
· Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Rosalie
· British Army Apache attack helicopters
· Fleet Air Arm Sea King helicopters (Airborne Surveillance and Area Control role)

RAF air transport aircraft provide extensive logistic support to the deployed bases in Italy, Sicily and the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus.

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