Eurofighters patrolling Europe’s southern perimeter
Unfortunately the incursion into Benghazi and other cities by Gadhafi’s forces could vastly complicate any international intervention, by allowing the troops to mingle in with the
population — making air-strikes against them difficult. In the meantime six Danish fighter jets landed at the naval air station in Sigonella, Sicily, on Saturday joining other fighter jets from Europe.. Danish air force spokesman Lars Skjoldan said they would be ready for operation in Libya by Sunday. Italy has offered the use of seven air and navy bases already housing U.S., NATO and Italian forces. Sigonella’s size and close proximity to Libya makes it a key staging point.
Surveillance AWACS planes flying off the Libyan coast are already providing 24-hour coverage of the situation in the air and on the battlefields. Analysts said no-fly zone aircraft would be flying from military bases such as in Sigonella, Sicily, Aviano in northern Italy, Istres in southern France, and Ventiseri-Solenzara in Corsica. Germany has supported U.N. measures for stricter sanctions against the regime of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but abstained on the vote about military intervention. Germany has, however, committed radar expertise and logistic support.
Spain, which already has a patrol boat and a submarine stationed off the coast of Libya, offered NATO two air-force bases on Friday in the south of the country for any military operation against the north African country.
Alliance military planners said they could deploy dozens of fighter-bombers, tankers, air surveillance aircraft, and drones to a string of air bases along Europe’s southern perimeter. They would serve as launching points for patrols over Libya. Officials said an “execute order’’ could launch the operation as early as this weekend. What worries military planners, however, are Libya’s plentiful antiaircraft guns and light, short-range shoulder-launched missiles — systems which proved very effective against NATO aircraft during the Kosovo war, said a diplomat who asked not to be identified.
In contrast, European military planners say the Alliance has 200 to 300 modern jets that could be quickly deployed to Libya from bases stretching from Gibraltar to Greece, and from French and British carriers in the Mediterranean Sea. These would include top-of-the-line Eurofighter Typhoons, used by British, Italian, and Spanish air forces. Also available are the formidable French Dassault Rafale fighters.
As one Eurofighter jet pilot based at the Sigonella Airforce base in Italy said: "Hang in there Benghazi, help is on the way".
EU-Digest
Material from EU-Digest can be republished
without permission only if source is quoted
No comments:
Post a Comment