Comments of the British military about their participation in operations in the sky over Libya

In connection with the political events in Libya that happened so swiftly, the British Army played a vital role in supporting NATO in stepping up the rebel airborne operation in this troubled country. So say all, without exception, the British military personnel who attacked Libyan soil, reports the British portal army.mod.uk.

“The Royal Air Force with aircraft and helicopters seized airspace. Operation Cast Lead consisted in an effort to end the rule of Colonel Gaddafi and his outrage, which the United Nations considers a crime against humanity. But Gaddafi, who knows the army well and has a wealth of experience, understood how difficult it is to ensure the preservation of life, and turned his forces back, "one of the official representatives of the Ministry of Defense explains the purpose of British military intervention in the operation.

Captain Mick Valborn of the 9 Royal Ulan Regiment was a communications officer (GLO) in Anzola dell 'Emilia - an air base in southern Italy. His work has become a model of all ground tactical knowledge for flight crews working in the sky over Libya. It was he who led the British Air Force aircraft on their targets.

Acting as an air force back-up, the United Kingdom tended to send flights from 12 to 14 per day, according to Captain Welborn.

“I’m only a soldier attached to the Air Force for work, and I appreciate what I’m going to see, and I’ll give the crew everything that the ground forces need to do,” he said after the correspondents asked him about possible remorse about destruction of civilians.

The employee works with the British Air Force in the 2 Squadron (Tornado) and provides technical support to the 3 Squadron Military (Typhoon) to create the required combat potential.

Libyans borrowed Soviet ammunition and tactics, so that many British military could share information about what the Libyan military option would be, since they knew the Soviet tactics in air wars well.

“There were instances when I rushed to the runway,” says Velbourne, “to convey to the crews the most important information at the very last moment, since it was important for saving their lives.”

The participation of the air army, equipped with an Apache helicopter, determined the outcome of the Libyan war. Where the Hurricanes and Typhoons worked, who attacked, observed, discovered targets and carried out reconnaissance, Gadhafi’s army had to capitulate.

One of the recent attacks by a group of Apache helicopters caused destruction in government buildings.

Major General Nick Pope, a spokesman for the British forces in Libya, said: “It was a difficult and very effective attack by Apache crews deep into Libya, about 40 miles (64 km), to hit Gaddafi’s forces, including military vehicles and multiple Colonel’s communications equipment. ”
“Former regime forces continue to threaten Libyan citizens and make it appear as if it aviation NATO strikes peaceful targets. This is a gross provocation, ”says Gary Falls, spokesman for the British Air Force.

Drawing attention to the requirements for the Army and the British Air Force, the commander of the air operation Gary Falls added:
“We must neutralize the danger of the restoration of the Gaddafi regime, but use only air assets for this. Helicopters "Apache" are much closer to the scene of action, than jet aircraft. They have the ability to distinguish people on earth. This proves the need to have such machines for modern warfare. They perfectly complement the attacks of airplanes from the air and help those to define targets more accurately. Gaddafi has no chance! ”

Based on these comments, we can conclude that the UK military seriously believe that they fulfilled good goals in Libya. And, as you can see, they are little concerned that during the operation, thousands of civilians died from missiles fired from British aircraft and helicopters.

Comments

[LESHA pancake]

The British have little interest in Aboriginal life. And a brave English pilot bombed almost in range conditions the enemy does not have air defense.

[Mesniy]

And who destroyed the Libyan air defense, aliens probably?

[Vadivak]

I will try to object to you

In December 1985, Washington planned a retaliation. According to the Pentagon's plan, it was supposed to consist in 1986 of two successive operations: "Prairie Fire" (March 23-26) and Eldorado Canyon (April 15-17). In the course of the first operation, under the guise of exercises, a kind of "reconnaissance in force" of the Libyan air defense system was carried out, revealing its strengths and weaknesses. In the second, air strikes were carried out in selected directions against specific Libyan targets.

That is, the United States knew the possibilities and location of Libyan air defense since that war.
from the story of Colonel Alexander Marchenko, a former adviser to the commander of an anti-aircraft missile brigade (SAM S-200VE "Vega").

I have been in Libya since August 1984. He was an advisor to the brigade commander and at the same time the head of the garrison among Soviet military specialists in Sirte, where we lived with our families. The provocative maneuvers of the US Navy near the Libyan coast prompted the country's leadership to quickly put into operation the new S-200VE Vega air defense system purchased from the USSR. Bulgarians equipped each division with positions, we helped put it on alert, trained Libyan servicemen so that they could perform combat missions. In our opinion, our technology has been adapted to the local climatic conditions. The crews of the Libyans were also quite well prepared, most of the officers were trained in Odessa and at the training center near Krasnovodsk.

The affected area of ​​the S-200 long-range anti-aircraft missile system was huge and covered a significant area in the middle of Sidra Bay, where oil pipelines exited for pumping oil to tankers. Thus, under control were not only the territorial waters of Libya, but also its coastal economic zone.

Intensive actions by American carrier-based aircraft south of the 32nd parallel began at about 7 am on March 24. The Americans, knowing about the presence of "two hundred", sought to identify its operating frequencies. We, Soviet specialists, were prohibited from participating in hostilities. The command to open fire on violators of Libyan calculations could only be given personally by Supreme Commander M. Gaddafi. At about one o'clock in the afternoon, crossing the "line of death", a detachment of three ships entered the Gulf of Sidra: the URO cruiser "Ticonderoga" and two destroyers. Up to 100 aircraft were in the air at various altitudes. At the highest point the AWACS E-2C "Hawkeye" planes patrolled, below the EA-6B "Prowler" - jammers.

As soon as two carrier-based attack aircraft, presumably A-6E Intruder, appeared over the bay, at 13:50 at a distance of 115 km, both Vega battalions fired one missile at them. The violators, moving away from the Soviet missiles, tried to maneuver in height (from 4,5 to 2,5 km) and speed, to carry out anti-missile maneuvers, but everything turned out to be ineffectual. Signs of hitting targets were observed on the indicator screens - loss of altitude and speed. After 3 hours, the first squadron on duty by launching another missile at a distance of 100 to 75 km shoots down another single American attack aircraft. We have trained the Libyans well.

We all learned about this later, since we were not in positions at that time. We left for lunch, and the firing was carried out by the Libyans on their own. The next day, I reported the results of the battle by telephone to General V. Zhdanov. After some time, the country and the Libyan radio informed of the victories.

From the story of Lieutenant General Vladimir Yaroshenko, the former chief of staff - first deputy commander of the air defense forces of the country's air defense forces.

When M. Gaddafi announced this, R. Reagan denied his statement, although he admitted that the Libyans fired three times. But indeed, the targets were hit far over the sea, no one saw the wreckage of the aircraft. Then-President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, who received an incorrect intelligence report from Tripoli, doubted the capabilities and effectiveness of Vega. Although this was and remains the first case of combat use of the S-200 system against a real air enemy. He instructed Defense Minister S. Sokolov to deal with this, Chief of the General Staff S. Akhromeev and Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces of the country A. Koldunov. The latter called me, ordered me to lead a group of 2-3 officers and fly to Libya to assess the results of the shooting of the Libyan brigade.

Two days later, documents were issued against me, Colonel G. Kochan, Lieutenant Colonels V. Poklad and
V. Doroshenko had not yet been issued to the end and we were not given the go-ahead to take off. Meanwhile, Prairie Fire continued. On the evening of March 24, the "Intruders" from the "America" ​​sank 2 Libyan patrol boats (the next day, 3 more were damaged). On the night of 24-25, from an aircraft based on the Saratoga aircraft carrier, Kharm guided missiles were launched at the positions of the Sirte missile base, as a result of which the Vega's transceiver cabin was damaged. On March 26, there were no longer violations of Libyan airspace, and the next day the Americans announced the end of the exercises, and the aircraft carriers withdrew to about. Sicily. Moreover, "Saratoga" was sent home almost immediately after that. According to the Pentagon, during the "exercises" American aircraft made 1.546 sorties and used weapons on naval targets 5 times.

These days, having received detailed data on the firing conditions of the S-200 air defense system from Tripoli, our three head organizations - the Almaz Central Design Bureau, the proving ground and the Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense - were ordered by the Chief of Staff of the Air Defense Forces of the country, Colonel-General S. Romanov, independently of each other. conducted a computer simulation of three firing and received almost the same expected probability of hitting each aircraft in the range from 0,96 to 0,99.

The doubts of experts about the effectiveness of the S-200VE complexes have disappeared.

But then Libya had someone to protect, there were experts. And then the colonel began to be friends with ruts Sarkozy and bungo-bungo berlusconi than this friendship ended it is clear to everyone

[Uncle Sam]

One thing is not clear, no one canceled combat training, where did the air defense go?

[Uhalus]

Yes, yes ... as they were in the 19th century, those remained ...

[Mesniy]

And thank God, if the Russians remained as they were in the 19th century, the country would be a worthy country, and not a bunch of stinking crap like now.

[zombies]

plain british bravado

[Mesniy]

Thanks to "ordinary British bravado", the basis of the present world civilization has been created, and you look at the computer and not tinkle at the balalaika in bast shoes.

[Mesniy]

Well done guys! Our pilots in Chechnya would have such equipment and, most importantly, organizational capabilities, would have saved many lives.

[kagorta]

Well done of course if they get their way. But with all this, the enemy and his technique must be treated with respect. And even the regiment they have "Kremlin" as if we have the best S-200 complex. And so this is idle talk for earning medals. Like, I ask you to introduce me to a reward, for the fact that I risked my life ran along the GDP, stopped our planes and warned them about the danger ...
I would also use carrier pigeons.
We never recognize the real "heroes" who illuminated the targets from the ground.

[kagorta]

Why were so few helicopters shot down (it seems that there was only one with SAS fighters during the assault on Tripoli) when Gaddafi had 20000 arrows?

[Siberian]

"It was a challenging and very effective raid by Apache crews deep into Libya, about 40 miles (64 km)."
Interesting idea. What is the difficulty of a 64 km helicopter flight under conditions of complete inactivity of the enemy air defense? In such conditions, officials fly to nature reserves to hunt.

[Vadivak]

Then they fly, but not always successfully, and without MANPADS fall

[svit55]

I looked around, and along the road dead stood with braids ... and silence. Nonsense!
Gaddafi believed in friendship with the Euro-Sarkozy and other Jews. and kept the money with them. here is the answer. they are fighting with him for his own money! just look, as soon as this "victorious war" is over, the West will present an account to the Libyans. And 20 thousand "needles" and "arrows" Yscho yeknetsya, not only in the West, but all over the world. Do you want an example? Well, for example IRAQ, how do you like the order?

[slan]

Namely, he sponsored these Sarkozy. And who repays debts if there is an opportunity not to repay? There was nothing to provoke, Gaddafi is a provocateur like a girl in a short skirt in the park at 12 at night. How is it clever? .. Victim behavior))

[PSih2097]

"Tunguska" is very effective against the Apaches and its extension "Shell" ...