FIREPOWER
A joint operation to enforce a UN-backed no-fly zone over Libya has begun. Here we look at some of the British and French fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft likely to be involved and some of the weaponry they may be using.
UK AIRCRAFT
Typhoon - Eurofighter
Typhoon
- Crew: 1
- Speed: 2 Mach
- Weapons: Air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM, ASRAAM),Brimstone, Enhanced Paveway, Paveway IV
The RAF's Typhoon, or Eurofighter, is an agile aircraft which could be used in air-to-air combat if the Libyan airforce tries to get airborne.
Typhoons were built to criteria set by the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy to replace the Tornado fighter. It boasts stealth technology and weapons systems include medium and short-range air-to-air missiles and various air-to-ground weapons.
The Typhoon entered service with the RAF in 2003, primarily based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and RAF Leuchars in Scotland. It has also been operational in the Falkland Islands since September 2009.
Tornado
Tornado GR4
- Crew: 2
- Max speed: 1.3 Mach
- Weapons: Storm Shadow, Brimstone, ALARM, AIM-9 Sidewinder, Paveway II, Paveway III, Enhanced Paveway, General Purpose Bombs, Mauser 27mm cannon
- Source: RAF
The Tornado has been one of the mainstays of the RAF since first entering service in 1980 and the aircraft were used to enforce no-fly zones in Iraq.
It is mainly used as a strike or attack aircraft and could have a key role in taking out Libyan surface-to-air missile systems.
Weapons such as the Storm Shadow cruise missile mean that the Tornado can hit targets from a significant distance. The MoD describes the missile as being designed for "long range, highly accurate, deep penetration" against enemy command and control bunkers. It is fired from a Tornado GR4.
Tornado GR4s are also equipped with Brimstone missiles, an effective anti-armour weapon and can also be used for all-weather, day and night tactical reconnaissance.
Nimrod
Nimrod R1 reconnaissance aircraft, derivative of the maritime patrol version, are expected to be involved in surveillance operations.
The suite of monitoring systems are used for reconnaissance and gathering electronic intelligence. It can sit over an area, flying at low speeds for long periods - which can be extended by mid-air refuelling.
The Nimrod R1s are operated by No 51 Squadron, from RAF Waddington.
Sentinel
Sentinel R1
- Crew: 5
- Speed: 0.89 Mach
- Systems: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI)
The Sentinel R1 aircraft, used in intelligence operations in Afghanistan, is also expected to be used in any Libya mission.
It is part of the Sentinel system which is made up of air, land and support segments.
The aircraft are converted Bombardier Global Express aircraft which are fitted with radar and monitoring systems which can be used to track and target enemy ground forces.
The reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to be scrapped after the UK withdraws its forces from Afghanistan.
FRENCH AIRCRAFT
France is clearly one of the key players in this crisis.
In diplomatic terms it has been one of the main promoters of UN Security Council resolution 1973 allowing the use of force. French aircraft, thought to be Rafale fighters, according to reports from Paris, have been the first to operate over Libya ensuring, according to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, that Libyan government aircraft cannot operate over the Benghazi.
Dassault Rafale
Dassault Rafale
Crew: 1/2
Speed: 1.8 Mach
Weapons: Air-to-ground missile, including Apache and Exocet, air-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles
The Dassault Rafale is a multi-role, twin-engined delta wing aircraft capable of mounting air defence, ground attack, and reconnaissance missions.
It is operated by the French Air Force and a variant of the plane is the mainstay of the French Navy, operating from the carrier Charles de Gaulle.
The Rafale carries a sophisticated electronic survival system named Spectra. It can detect and track up to eight targets simultaneously and generate 3D maps for navigation and targeting.
Mirage 2000
Mirage 2000
Crew: 1/2
Speed: 2.2 Mach
Weapons: built-in twin DEFA 554 30mm revolver-type cannons. Air-to-air missiles
Again a multi-role fighter, the descendant of the famous Mirage III of the 1960s. Entered service in 1982 but some were extensively modernised in the late 1980s to fill a gap until the Rafale entered service. There is also a strike version of the aircraft, the Mirage 2000D.
Mirage F1
This is an older model from the Mirage stable, the first aircraft entering service in 1983. While there are several variants, the most important in current front-line service is the Mirage F1CR which is a highly specialised reconnaissance platform carrying cameras, and optical and electronic sensors.
CANADIAN AIRCRAFT
CF-18 Hornet
CF-18 Hornet
Crew: 1/2
Speed: 1.7 Mach
Weapons: Vulcan cannon. Four AIM-9M Sidewinders - supersonic, heat-seeking air-to-air missiles
The Canadian Armed Forces' front-line multi-role fighter is used for air superiority and tactical support.
Canada has committed six Hornets to help enforce the no-fly zone. The Canadian jets were seen at Prestwick airport in Scotland on Saturday where they landed for a refuelling stop before heading towards the Mediterranean.
The aircraft is equipped with a sophisticated radar system that can track targets in all weather and from great distances. A Sniper Advanced Targeting pod, which contains an infra-red (heat-sensitive) camera and TV camera, allows pilots to see targets at night and in low visibility conditions.
The pod also has a laser designator to guide precision bombing, and a laser spot tracker. The newly acquired Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) allows the pilot to effectively designate targets anywhere around the aircraft.
MISSILE TYPES
Tomahawk cruise missile
Tomahawk missile
- Long-range weapon designed to hit strategic targets with minimum collateral damage
- Able to deliver 1,000lb (450kg) warhead to a range of about 1,000 miles (1,600km)
- Can fly at low or high altitude
Source: Ministry of Defence
The Tomahawk Cruise missile is 20 feet long and flies at more than 700 mph for a range of about 1,000 miles, close enough to the ground to take enemy air defences by surprise.
It was originally developed to deliver a nuclear payload, but proved its use in the two Allied wars against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, and against Serbian targets in Bosnia as a means of delivering conventional explosives.
Each missile usually carries a 1000lb charge, specially shaped to penetrate hardened concrete buildings.
Storm Shadow missile
Deployed from Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 ground attack aircraft, the Storm Shadow is a conventionally armed cruise missile.
Storm Shadow missile
- Long-range air-launched cruise missile used against well-defended static targets
- Armed with conventional explosive warhead
- Can be launched 155 miles (250km) from its target
Source: MBDA, RAF
Developed by the European MBDA consortium, Storm Shadow is intended to be launched from an aircraft, before flying beneath enemy radar prior to hitting its intended target.
Weighing just over one tonne and measuring a little over five metres (16ft) in length, the missile was first used by the RAF in the Iraq War in 2003.
Storm Shadow is programmed with details of its target prior to launch, and then uses its onboard terrain-following radar and GPS to navigate to the exact co-ordinates. It is intended to be used against fixed targets, and its explosive warhead is able to penetrate concrete installations.
Frm BBC
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