Operation Odyssey Dawn/Unified Protector

[falcontot]

Updates on danish F16's at Sigonella :

Now are danish F16AM E-607 also at Sigonella Naval air base an here are is a link to picture off it.

http://forsvaret.dk/FTK/Nyt%20og%20Pres ... nella.aspx

An this 2 are also there now.
Danish f16 update's here from http://forum.scramble.nl/viewtopic.php? ... ;start=165

Sigonella
E-011 F-16AM Esk727, noted 6apr
E-074 F-16AM Esk727, noted 6apr

[shrimpman]

Hi,
Did you come across any information why the Polish Air Force didn't send over their new Vipers? I would have thought they'de be very eager to test their new birds. Could it be that the planes are still not combat ready?

[Boman]

May come later - Italy only yesterday approved their own air force's participation, so late arrival is no reason for concern

[shrimpman]

Maybe. But I am already very disappointed and pretty embarassed as well. We have the most modern F-16 in Europe and instead of being on the forefront of the operation, our airmen have to sit home and watch it on telly. Weeks pass and everything is still bogged down in a beaurocratic quagmire. And I'd dare say it's always been like that: excellent soldiers and terribly incompetent command. And even worse politicians.

[Boman]

Military leadership is not who you should be disappointed by - this is pure politics, nothing else.

[launcherman]

I think our current administration wants to let NATO and the EU nations take the lead in this one. Obviously we're there to help. Lybia is a far greater threat to Europe than it is to the US. I think this is a great leap forward for the EU and NATO. We have enough to focus on a few miles east of there, lets finish up there first.

Oh and the US is approx 50% of the NATO AWACS personnel flying out of FOB Trapani.

[shrimpman]

I was ranting about my Polish countrymen, not the Yanks
I know it is all politics, but they are the same all over the globe, and yet other countries were able to send help. That is bad command in my view. I do not mean the command on the operational or tactical level. I mean the high brass, the guys who are supposed make everything run like a clockwork machine, to make quick and accurate decisions, to ensure the planes, weapons and the crews are combat ready, to make sure the forces are ready to be deployed at shortest notice possible and to have the guts to voice their opinions in front of the politicians. The sad reality is that good fellows who try to shake things up end up on early retirement and the ones that are left are mostly brown-nosers and yesmen.
That's a terrible shame. You know yourselves what is the difference for the flyers and the ground crew to have several hours real combat experience or no real combat experience at all.
Anyway, sorry about the off-topic.

[energo]

Danish and Norwegian F-16s are getting high remarks for their contribution in the Libyan conflict.

As of May 9:

* RDAF had completed 169 missions and dropped 364 munitions
* RNoAF had completed 315 sorties and dropped 289 munitions
* Overall the NATO-lead coalition had completed 2326 strike sorties, and 5822 sorties overall

B. Bolsøy
Oslo

[Boman]

Proud to be Norwegian

[JochemP]

Danish and Norwegian F-16s are getting high remarks for their contribution in the Libyan conflict.

As of May 9:

* RDAF had completed 169 missions and dropped 364 munitions
* RNoAF had completed 315 sorties and dropped 289 munitions
* Overall the NATO-lead coalition had completed 2326 strike sorties, and 5822 sorties overall

B. Bolsøy
Oslo

Good info, for us numbers freaks... can't wait to see mission markings on a/c.

[Boman]

Agree, Jochem - however I suspect that not much will be seen on the RNoAF Vipers. Politics you know

[mjoelner]

Danish and Norwegian F-16s are getting high remarks for their contribution in the Libyan conflict.

As of May 9:

* RDAF had completed 169 missions and dropped 364 munitions
* RNoAF had completed 315 sorties and dropped 289 munitions
* Overall the NATO-lead coalition had completed 2326 strike sorties, and 5822 sorties overall

B. Bolsøy
Oslo

For some odd reason RDAF is releasing mission instead of sortie numbers ?
RDAF is usually deploying 4 jets at a time on a single mission, but the operative word is "usually". What we do know however is that the F-16 operators are doing a lot of the bomb sorties. To put it mildly

Some people are claiming that it was RDAF jets that hit Gaddafis compound and killed one of his sons and three of his grandchildren. Apparently one of the bombs didn't detonate. Fotos indicate that it is a BLU-109 penetrator warhead. Only the RDAF have apparently used these in Libiya ?

[Boman]

Nope, photos have shown these on RNoAF Vipers as well.

Tail #668 was photographed on March 30th 2011 taking off from Crete carrying 2xGBU-31 with BLU-109 warheads

Source for photos:
http://forsvaret.no/om-forsvaret/forsva ... fault.aspx

[mjoelner]

Nope, photos have shown these on RNoAF Vipers as well.

Tail #668 was photographed on March 30th 2011 taking off from Crete carrying 2xGBU-31 with BLU-109 warheads

Source for photos:
http://forsvaret.no/om-forsvaret/forsva ... fault.aspx

Super! Many thanks for this info Boman This means we can show a united front against those who want to play NATO coutries against each other. It might just end up on the frontpage of tomorrows newspaper in Denmark.

[Lieven]

<a href="http://www.f-16.net/news_article4349.html">Belgian F-16s carry out night bombings to over Libya</a> and <a href="http://www.f-16.net/news_article4350.html">Dutch F-16s join raid over Libya but attack no ground targets</a>