| Opération Harmattan | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of2011 military intervention in Libya | |||||||
 Remains of threePalmaria heavy howitzers of the Gaddafi forces destroyed by French warplanes at the south-western outskirts ofBenghazi on 19 March 2011. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |  Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| See deployed forces | SeeLibyan Armed Forces | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | Multiple tanks, aircraft, artillery units and ground targets destroyed | ||||||
| Unknown, unverified claim by Gaddafi-controlled Libyan state media of 48 civilians killed, 150 wounded as a result of all UN operations[2] 40 civilians killed (in Tripoli; Vatican claim)[3] | |||||||
Opération Harmattan was the French participation in the2011 military intervention in Libya.[4] It was named for theHarmattan, which are hot dry winds that blow over the Sahara, mostly between November and March.[5] TheUnited States' counterpart to this wasOperation Odyssey Dawn, theCanadian counterpart wasOperation Mobile and theBritish counterpart wasOperation Ellamy. The no-fly zone was proposed during theLibyan Civil War to prevent government forces loyal toMuammar Gaddafi from carrying out air attacks onanti-Gaddafi forces. Several countries prepared to take immediate military action at a conference inParis on 19 March 2011.[6]
FrenchDassault Rafale multirole fighters began reconnaissance missions on 19 March and were the first among the coalition to attack Libyan forces, destroying four tanks.[7]
TheFrench Navy anti-air destroyerForbin and anti-air frigateJean Bart were already off Libya when the operation commenced.
TheFrench Air Force deployed in its first strike force eightRafale fighters, twoMirage 2000-5 fighters and twoMirage 2000D fighter-bombers supported by other aircraft listed above.[18]
EightRafale fighters patrolled the skies over Benghazi to prohibit the advance of Libyan ground forces. One opened fire on Libyan military vehicles at 16:45 local time.The Telegraph reported four Libyan tanks destroyed by French aircraft southwest of Benghazi.[7]
Aircraft returning from combat missions landed atSolenzara Air Base onCorsica from which further combat sorties were launched.[19]
Elevensorties were carried out by French aircraft over Libya.[19]
Task Force 473, the aircraft carrierCharles de Gaulle and its battle group, sailed fromToulon.[19]
Up to this day, 55 sorties were carried out by French aircraft over Libya.[20] The French Ministry of Defence (MoD) claimed a Mirage 2000-D destroyed another Libyan tank 100 km south of Benghazi.[21]
Aircraft fromCharles de Gaulle began operations over Libya, commencing withRafale F3s conducting reconnaissance and patrols.[13]Forbin andJean Bart, which were already on station off Libya, joined Task Force 473.[13] The number of combat aircraft forward deployed at Air Base 126 Solenzara was increased to 20 with the arrival of two more Mirage 2000-5 and two more Mirage 2000D, with support aircraft operating out of Saint-Dizier and Avord.[22]
Rafale and Mirage 2000D aircraft from Solenzara and Rafale and Super Etendard aircraft from theCharles de Gaulle conducted reconnaissance and support sorties over Libya.[23]
Rafale and Mirage 2000D aircraft attacked a Libyan air base, 250 kilometres (160 miles) inland from the Mediterranean Sea, withSCALP EG missiles.[24] Rafale, Mirage 2000D and Super Etendard aircraft flew four joint interdiction missions against Libyan ground forces.[25] A Rafale destroyed a LibyanSoko G-2 Galeb light attack jet with anAASM air-to-surface missile as it landed at Misrata.[25][26] A patrol of two Mirage 2000Ds, equipped withGBU-12 laser-guided bombs, attacked loyalist artillery near Ajdabiyah.[27]
Qatari aircraft attached toOperation Odyssey Dawn and French aircraft conducted joint reconnaissance sorties in the regions of Misrata, Zintan, Sirte and Ajdabiyah. Four Mirage 2000Ds conducted interdiction missions against loyalist artillery near Ajdabiyah. Two French and two Qatari Mirage 2000-5s conductedair interdiction missions.[27] Three French Mirage 2000-5s were moved from Solenzara toSouda Air Base onCrete.[27]
French aircraft carried out several air strikes around Zintan and Misrata, destroying at least fiveSoko G-2 Galeb light attack jets and twoMi-35 helicopters on the ground. French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s continued joint reconnaissance sorties from Souda Air Base.[28]
Air Force and Navy Rafales attacked a command centre south of Tripoli. French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s conducted joint patrols and air interdiction missions from Souda Air Base. The number of French Mirage 2000-5s based as Souda was increased to four.[29]
Air operations were planned to focus on the region around Zintan and Misrata.[29] Air force Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds and a joint patrol of Navy Rafales and Super Etendards bombed an ammunition dump at Gharyan, 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Tripoli.[9]Mirage F1CRs conducted reconnaissance missions for the first time in the operation.[9]
Two patrols of Air Force Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds and a patrol of Navy Rafales and Super Etendards attacked anti-aircraft missile sites 100 kilometres (62 mi) south west of Tripoli. Two joint patrols of French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s conducted air interdiction sorties.[9] Mirage 2000Ds and Super Etendards bombed a military depot 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Tripoli.[30]
A joint strike force of Air Force Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds and Navy Rafales and Super Etendards attacked anti-aircraft missile sites 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Sirte. A patrol of two French and four Qatari Mirage 2000-5s conducted air interdiction sorties.[30]
At 0600 GMT,NATO took command of all operations in Libya. Subsequent operations were conducted as part ofOperation Unified Protector.[31]
