RAF Operation Ellamy ~ Air Force

Operation ELLAMY is the codename for the United Kingdom participation in the 2011 military intervention in Libya. The operation is part of an international coalition aimed at enforcing a Libyan no-fly zone in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 which stipulated that "all necessary measures" shall be taken to protect civilians. UK sorties are under the operational command of the United States. The Canadian participation is Operation MOBILE and the French participation is Opération Harmattan. The coalition operation is designated by the United States Department of Defense by the code name Operation Odyssey Dawn.

The no-fly zone was proposed during the 2011 Libyan uprising to prevent government forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi from carrying out air attacks on rebel forces. Several countries have prepared to take immediate military action at a conference in Paris on 19 March, 2011.

Background to operation

The UN Security Council Resolution 1973 passed on the evening of 17 March 2011 gave a mandate to countries wishing to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya militarily. A conference involving international leaders took place in Paris on the afternoon of Saturday 19 March 2011. International military action commenced after the conference finished, with French military fighter jets being the first to participate in the operation only a few hours after the conference finished in Paris with the first shot fired at 1645 GMT against a Libyan tank.

Deployed forces

Royal Navy^[1]
- HMS Westminster (F237), a Type 23 frigate
- HMS Cumberland (F85), a Type 22 frigate
  - 2 × Lynx Mk.8 helicopters
- HMS Triumph (S93), a Trafalgar-class submarine
Royal Air Force
- Joint Force Air Component Headquarters at RAF Akrotiri
- Headquarters 906 Expeditionary Air Wing at Gioia del Colle Air Base
  - 10 × Typhoon multirole fighters from RAF Coningsby and RAF Leuchars,
  - 8 × Tornado GR4 interdictor/strike aircraft from RAF Marham
- Headquarters 907 Expeditionary Air Wing at RAF Akrotiri
  - 3 × Sentry AEW.1 AWACS aircraft from RAF Waddington
  - A Nimrod R1 signals intelligence aircraft
  - A Sentinel R1 airborne standoff radar aircraft from RAF Waddington
  - VC10 air-to-air refuelling tankers from RAF Brize Norton
- Force Elements Operated from UK
  - Tornado GR4 interdictor/strike aircraft from RAF Marham
  - TriStar K1 air-to-air refuelling tankers from RAF Brize Norton

Possible deployment of Special Forces to mark targets for aircraft

Summary of operation Ellamy

Day 1 - 19 March 2011

On the afternoon of 19 March, the Royal Navy Trafalgar-class submarine HMS Triumph fired Tomahawk cruise missiles. A combined total along with US over the day was reported by the US to be over 110 missiles. The Royal Navy also has a Type 22 frigate (HMS Cumberland) and a Type 23 frigate (HMS Westminster) engaged in a naval blockade.

David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, confirmed that British aircraft were in action over Libya on the 19th,^[28] although it was the French Air Force who made the first coalition aerial presence over Libya earlier the same day.

Sentry, Sentinel and VC-10 aircraft were said to be carrying out operations from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The home base for the VC-10 aircraft was RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and for the Sentinel and Sentry aircraft was RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

On the night of 19-20 March 2011, Storm Shadow missiles were launched by Tornado GR4 aircraft. Tornados of No. 9 Squadron from RAF Marham had sortied on a 3,000 mi (4,800 km) mission to fire Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Libya. They required refuelling by British tanker aircraft three times on the outward journey and once on the return. Tristar aircraft were involved.

Day 2 - 20 March 2011

The MoD announced that Tornado and Typhoon aircraft would be deployed to the Italian Gioia del Colle Air Base.

The Trafalgar-class submarine HMS Triumph launched further Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets in Libya.

Tornados GR4s, flying from Marham, were about to attack a target but did not fire their missiles due to reports of civilians near the target.

Day 3 - 21 March 2011

The Prime Minister announced to the House of Commons on 21 March at the start of the debate on the UNSC resolution that RAF Typhoons had been deployed to an Italian airbase (Gioia del Colle) and would fly in support of the NFZ. Three Typhoons successfully conducted a mission and returned to Gioia del Colle.

Headquarters 906 Expeditionary Air Wing formed at Gioia del Colle Air Base responsible for assets forward deployed there. Headquarters 907 Expeditionary Air Wing formed at RAF Akrotiri responsible for assets forward deployed there. C-17A Globemaster and Hercules transport aircraft were also used to assist in the build up of deployed forces.

Day 4 - 22 March 2011

RAF Typhoons flew their first ever combat mission, patrolling the no-fly zone while Tornado GR4s from RAF Marham flew an armed reconnaissance sortie. The MoD reported that Royal Navy ships Triumph, Westminister and Cumberland remained in theatre for additional strikes and patrol.

Day 5 - 23 March 2011

Tornado GR4s were forwarded deployed to Gioia del Colle Air Base. In a media interview, the UK Air Component Commander, Air Vice Marshall Greg Bagwell, stated that the Libyan Air Force "no longer exists as a fighting force" and that "we have the Libyan ground forces under constant observation and we attack them whenever they threaten civilians or attack population centres."

Day 6 - 24 March 2011

Tomahawk Cruise Missiles were again fired at targets from HMS Triumph

RAF Tornado aircraft on an armed reconnaissance mission launched Brimstone missiles against Libyan armoured vehicles that were reported to be threatening the civilian population of Adjdabiya. Four T-72 tanks were destroyed in the attack by Tornados, and three by another coalition aircraft. Likely target locations had previously been identified by other Tornado aircraft equipped with RAPTOR pods.