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Does anyone have a clear status on the state of Lybian Forces? Speaking mainly of AA/SAM and air forces?

You never can tell.

like Iraq it all looks good on paper. However depends on how well maintained stuff is. How the missiles have been stored and how mucgh training the techs have had. Some of those guys probably never even fired a real missile before?

They do like many nations in that part of the world have shed loads of AAA. I know a guy who flew in Iraq the first time and he said the AAA was pretty spectacular! even more so when he was low level in a Tornado.

Julien

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Does anyone have any perspective on Tomahawk attacks on SA-5? I was led to believe Tomahawk is a sub-sonic weapon. Do SA-5s or similar SAM systems have difficulty detecting these nonetheless-slow missiles? Is this due to their small size? or low altitude?

ITs a combination of factors. The SA-5 is a high-altitude/long range AD missile. The missile and its search systems isn't designed to operate against low flying targets, where there is ground clutter. It also doesn't really have a good ballistic performance for such a mission... the four large boosters that push it several kilometers out and to a very high speed before its main motor takes over. That gives it a very large minimum effective range. Obviously they should be used in combination with a low altitude system like the SA-6 and MANPADs. Still cruise missiles are tough to knock down even today.

Ironically, the SA-5 was designed in the 1960s to combat B-52s, XB-70s and SR-71s. The Tomahawk series were originally designed to to evade these systems by going low.

Edited by -Neu-
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Interesting that the Growler is over there. Gonna get some action finally.

Aviano is a NATO base they could be doing anything. Could be patrolling over US Navy ships in the area pulling an assignment for NATO or even just in transit to another base etc.

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Our local late news led off with footage of pre-dawn Tomahawk launches. For a moment I thought I'd stumbled through a time-warp back to 1991. Talk about Deja Vu!

Let's hope we can wrap this one up quickly with a minimum of bloodshed. Of course, every war we've gone into for the past 30 years started out as "we've got all this tech, we don't need ground troops..." At least this time, we're supporting an uprising, rather than initiating action on our own.

SN

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Our local late news led off with footage of pre-dawn Tomahawk launches. For a moment I thought I'd stumbled through a time-warp back to 1991. Talk about Deja Vu!

Let's hope we can wrap this one up quickly with a minimum of bloodshed. Of course, every war we've gone into for the past 30 years started out as "we've got all this tech, we don't need ground troops..." At least this time, we're supporting an uprising, rather than initiating action on our own.

SN

The last few wars fought were supporting uprising/rebellions, including Vietnam.

Edited by Wayne S
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Does anyone have any perspective on Tomahawk attacks on SA-5? I was led to believe Tomahawk is a sub-sonic weapon. Do SA-5s or similar SAM systems have difficulty detecting these nonetheless-slow missiles? Is this due to their small size? or low altitude?

SA-5 (S-200) Envelope (open source)

Doesn't show anything about detection against a specific target size but this shows the basic engagement envelope. You'll note on the horizontal profile on the bottom it's useless against anything below 300m.

Spongebob

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Not until the air defenses are beaten down... But again, who's paying for this little adventure? Are you guys willing to cut us a check?

We'll just take if off what you owe us :woo:

Stephen

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Gents,

Reports of RAF fast jets being involved in combat sorties already are slightly premature. RAF Typhoon's have not even deployed yet. I've just spent the day up at RAF Coningsby hoping that they would go but besides a couple of transfers down from Leuchars - QRA swapovers by the looks of things - no Typhoon movements as yet although with the amount of activity in and around the HAS areas it looks like the deployment is imminent.

The first wave of Tornado GR4's and accompanying VC-10's departed from Marham and Brize Norton only a hour or so ago. At least one flight of Lakenheath F-15's has also been overheard departing to the South this evening. Good luck all.

Gary

GR4's flew direct from RAF Marham to launch Storm Shadow Missiles.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12797500

MOD confirming VC-10 Refueling assets, AWACS and Sentinel R1's being used.

Julien

Edited by Julien (UK)
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CBS News is now reporting that the B-2s are in the fight. CBS News is reporting that three USAF B-2s dropped 140 bombs on a "major Lybian airfield." Can't find any details though.

I notice that Khaddafi is deliberately describing the attacks as being carried out by "colonials" and "crusaders," two words usually guaranteed to raise hackles in the Arab world. Hopefully his neighbors will see through the ploy. And of course, his mouthpieces are saying most of the victims are children. Sounds like a good gig for "Baghdad Bob."

SN

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CBS News is now reporting that the B-2s are in the fight. CBS News is reporting that three USAF B-2s dropped 140 bombs on a "major Lybian airfield." Can't find any details though.

I notice that Khaddafi is deliberately describing the attacks as being carried out by "colonials" and "crusaders," two words usually guaranteed to raise hackles in the Arab world. Hopefully his neighbors will see through the ploy. And of course, his mouthpieces are saying most of the victims are children. Sounds like a good gig for "Baghdad Bob."

SN

Yes the news here said "unconfirmed" reports of B-2's operating.

As an aside what ever happened to Baghdad Bob? did he get a corporate gig somewhere? :monkeydance:

Julien

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CBS News is now reporting that the B-2s are in the fight. CBS News is reporting that three USAF B-2s dropped 140 bombs on a "major Lybian airfield." Can't find any details though.

I notice that Khaddafi is deliberately describing the attacks as being carried out by "colonials" and "crusaders," two words usually guaranteed to raise hackles in the Arab world. Hopefully his neighbors will see through the ploy. And of course, his mouthpieces are saying most of the victims are children. Sounds like a good gig for "Baghdad Bob."

SN

Wow! 140 bombs on one airfield! ***, are we dropin' WW2 vintage bombs! :banana:

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Here's a photo of some Canadian jets over Tripoli.....

The Canadian tanker today is at Decimomannu AB -Italy, with some Spanish Hornets from ALA 12 and ALA 15.

Today should come here the UAE aircrafts too.

Edited by f12aaa
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Wow! 140 bombs on one airfield! ***, are we dropin' WW2 vintage bombs! :banana:

Many military airfields are built with multiple runways plus taxiways that can serve as emergency runways too. That requires a lot of cratering to shut it down.

Regards,

Murph

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Wow! 140 bombs on one airfield! ***, are we dropin' WW2 vintage bombs! :banana:

I'm guessing B-2s are GBU-38 capable by now. So probably more like 140 GBU-38 500lbs JDAMs each precisely targetted on the runway, taxiways, intersections, hangars, fuelpoints, control tower, equipment sheds, etc. Imagine, one pass, one stick each, and 140 individual DMPIs.

Edited by Rank11
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http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/0...nfist.libya.jpg

It is funny how the French attacked first and that all participating are part of a coalition force, but Khaddafi is targeting the US and more upset that we are a part of this...only in his dreams will he crush the american force

Edited by Modern Aircraft
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Storm, the Growlers (4) were in Aviano AB with some F-15E from UK :unsure:

Simone.

From the video, it appeared as Sig. But then maybe it was a combination of videos from different locations. The presence of Atlantiques led me toward Sig.

-S

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