27-mar-11    to    31-oct-11

Operation Unified Protector

27-mar-11    to    31-oct-11


libya off LIbya



Operation Unified Protector



Multi-national force under NATO command, continuing operations from UN SCR 1973, to support the anti-Gaddafi revolution underway in Libya. This followed up the US-led Operation Odyssey Dawn which started earlier in March. Participants were desperate to devise a strategy which did not involve putting boots on the ground, yet effectively supported the government opposition, focussed largely in the east of the country.

It eventually involved Naval and Air forces of 13 nations, each using their own operation name, based around the Mediterranean and adjacent countries.

The operation also had a political and economic dimension: freezing Libyan overseas assets, supporting democratic reform and jostling for position to win future hydrocarbon-related industrial and commercial work from the new government.

From a UK perspective, the Government was in the van in leading the establishment of the operation but was in the untenable position of decommissioning the very military assets it needed, in order to prosecute the outcome.

Known in:
* CA Canada as Operation Mobile
* FR France as Operation Harmattan, where main focus was around Brega, to the south of Benghazi, until 31 Mar, when French forces joined NATO-led Unified Protector
* UK UK as Operation Ellamy, where main focus was to the west of Misrata.

Other participating nations were Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Jordan, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the UAE & the US.

In addition to the surface units mentioned below, the UK also deployed HMS Triumph and then HMS Turbulent from the Silent Service.



  Units


Dates UnitModels
    mar11 to - FR 36F Aéronautique Navale AS365 Dauphin 2
SA365 Dauphin 2
    mar11 to oct11 UK 815 NAS Fleet Air Arm Lynx
    may11 to 23sep11 UK 656 Squadron Army Air Corps WAH-64 Apache
    may11 to 22sep11 UK 857 NAS Fleet Air Arm Sea King ASaC.7
    jun11 to oct11 US 56th RQS US Air Force S-70 H-60
Not all models shown may have taken part in the Operation




helicopter   Individual helicopters


Model IDs
Agusta ASH-3D MM5012N    
Westland WAH-64 Apache ZJ179     ZJ188     ZJ207     ZJ233    
Westland Sea King HAS.5 ZD636     ZE418    
Westland Lynx HAS4 (FN) 807    
Aerospatiale SA342M Gazelle 3849     4136    
AgustaWestland EH101 Mk.110 MM81484    


  Ships


ClassesShips
Aircraft Carrier (Nuclear Powered)   Charles de Gaulle class French Navy R91 Charles de Gaulle,
Aircraft Carrier V STOL   Garibaldi class Italian Navy C 551 Giuseppe Garibaldi,
Guided-Missile Destroyer   F100 Alvaro de Bazan Spanish Navy F-101 Alvaro de Bazan,
Guided-Missile Destroyer   De Zeven Provinciën class Royal Netherlands Navy F803 Hr.Ms. Tromp,
Guided-Missile Destroyer   Horizon class French Navy D620 Forbin,
Guided-Missile Destroyer   Type 42 (Batch 1 and 2) class Royal Navy D92 HMS Liverpool,
Destroyer   F70 ASW class French Navy D641 Dupleix,
Frigate   Maestrale class Italian Navy F 572 Libeccio,
Frigate   La Fayette class French Navy F712 Courbet,
Frigate   Regele Ferdinand class Romanian Naval Forces F221 Regele Ferdinand,
Frigate   Type 23 Duke class Royal Navy F81 HMS Sutherland,
Corvette   Comandant class Italian Navy P 492 Comandante Bettica,
Assault Carrier   Ocean class Royal Navy L12 HMS Ocean,
Assault Carrier   Mistral class French Navy L9014 Tonnerre,
Landing Ship/Platform Dock   Bay class Royal Fleet Auxiliary L3008 RFA Mounts Bay,
Landing Ship/Platform Dock   San Giorgio class Italian Navy L 9892 San Giorgio, Italian Navy L 9894 San Giusto,
Support Ship   Fort I class (1978) Royal Fleet Auxiliary A385 RFA Fort Rosalie,
Support Ship   Wave class Royal Fleet Auxiliary A389 RFA Wave Knight,
Support Ship   Etna class Italian Navy A 5326 Etna,





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