Opération Harmattan was the French participation in the

2011 military intervention in Libya On 19 March 2011, a multi-state NATO-led coalition began a military intervention in Libya, to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, in response to events during the First Libyan Civil War. With ten votes in favour and ...

. It was named for the

Harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into the ...

, which are hot dry winds that blow over the Sahara, mostly between November and March. The

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

' counterpart to this was

Operation Odyssey Dawn Operation Odyssey Dawn was the U.S. code name for the American role in the international military operation in Libya to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 during the initial period of 19–31 March 2011, which continued af ...

, the

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

counterpart was

Operation Mobile Operation Mobile (french: Opération Mobile) was the name given to Canadian Forces activities in the 2011 military intervention in Libya. The United States' counterpart to this was Operation Odyssey Dawn, the French counterpart was Opération H ...

and the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

counterpart was

Operation Ellamy Operation Ellamy was the codename for the United Kingdom participation in the 2011 military intervention in Libya. The operation was part of an international coalition aimed at enforcing a Libyan no-fly zone in accordance with the United Natio ...

. The no-fly zone was proposed during the

Libyan Civil War Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...

to prevent government forces loyal to

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by '' The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...

from carrying out air attacks on

anti-Gaddafi forces The anti-Gaddafi forces were Libyan groups that opposed and militarily defeated the government of Muammar Gaddafi, killing him in the process. These opposition forces included organized and armed militia groups, participants in the Libyan Civil ...

. Several countries prepared to take immediate military action at a conference in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

on 19 March 2011.

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Dassault Rafale The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", and "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range ...

multirole fighters began reconnaissance missions on 19 March and were the first among the coalition to attack Libyan forces, destroying four tanks.

Deployed forces

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Ar ...

** 5 × Rafale fighters from EC 01.007 Provence, based at

Naval Air Station Sigonella Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella is an Italian Air Force base ('' it, Aeroporto "Cosimo Di Palma" di Sigonella''), and a U.S. Navy installation at Italian Air Force Base Sigonella in Sicily, Italy. The whole NAS is a tenant of the Italian Air ...

in Sicily, Italy ** 6 ×

Mirage 2000-5 The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''Arm ...

fighters from EC 01.002 Cigogne, Dijon – Longvic Air Base ** 6 ×

Mirage 2000D The Dassault Mirage 2000N is a variant of the Mirage 2000 designed for nuclear strike. It formed the core of the French air-based strategic nuclear deterrent. The Mirage 2000D is its conventional attack counterpart. Development The Mirage ...

fighter-bombers from EC 03.003 Ardennes,

Nancy – Ochey Air Base Nancy-Ochey Air Base (french: Base aérienne 133 Nancy-Ochey) is a front-line French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) base located approximately 11 km west-southwest of Neuves-Maisons in the Département de Meurthe-et-Mo ...

** 2 × Mirage F1CR reconnaissance aircraft from ER 02.033 Savoie,

Reims – Champagne Air Base Reims – Champagne Air Base (french: Base aérienne 112 Reims-Champagne) is a former Front-line French Air and Space Force (french: Armée de l'Air) air base. The base is located approximately north of Reims; about northeast of Paris. Squadr ...

** 6 × C135

aerial refueling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...

planes from GRV 02.093 Bretagne, Istres-Le Tubé Air Base ** An E-3F AWACS plane from 36ème EDCA,

Avord Air Base Avord Air Base or BA 702 (french: Base Aérienne 702 Capitaine Georges Madon), named after Captain Georges Madon, is a base of the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) located north northwest of Avord in central France. ...

** A C-160G

SIGINT Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of '' signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ...

electronic surveillance aircraft from EET 01.054 Dunkerque,

Metz-Frescaty Air Base Metz-Frescaty Air Base (french: Base aérienne 128 Metz-Frescaty) was a front-line French Air Force french: Armée de l'Air (ALA) base. The base is located approximately south-southwest of Metz (Département de la Moselle, Lorraine), about east ...

** Commando Parachutiste de l'Air companies 20 and 30 forward deployed to

Solenzara Air Base Air Base 126 Solenzara (french: Base aérienne 126 Solenzara) is a French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) (ALAE) base located in the village of Ventiseri approximately 40 km north-northeast of Porto-Vecchio on Corsica. ...

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

Task Force 473 The ''Force d'action navale'' (FAN, Naval Action Force) is the 9,600-man and about 100-ship force of surface warships of the French Navy. As of 2018, it is commanded by Vice-Amiral d’Escadre Jean-Philippe Rolland. The ships are divided into s ...

*** Aircraft carrier ''Charles de Gaulle'' (R91) **** 10 × Rafale M fighters **** 6 × Super-Etendard strike aircraft, from

Flottille 17F Flottille 17F is a squadron of French Naval Aviation which currently flies the Dassault Rafale M from Landivisiau Naval Air Base. It was formed during April 1958 at Hyeres Naval Air Base and flew the Vought F4U7 Corsair for training purposes. ...

**** 2 ×

E-2C The Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is an American all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. This twin-turboprop aircraft was designed and developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s by the Grumman Aircraft ...

airborne early warning aircraft **** 2 × Dauphin multipurpose helicopters **** 2 ×

Alouette III Alouette or alouettes may refer to: Music and literature * "Alouette" (song), a French-language children's song * Alouette, a character in ''The King of Braves GaoGaiGar'' Aerospace * SNCASE Alouette, a utility helicopter developed in France i ...

utility helicopters **** French Air Force detachment of a Puma and 2 ×

Caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ...

transport helicopters *** Anti-air destroyer ''Forbin'' (D620) (later transferred to Operation Unified Protector) *** Anti-air destroyer ''Chevalier Paul'' (D621) *** Anti-air destroyer ''Jean Bart'' (D615) *** Anti-submarine destroyer ''Georges Leygues'' (D640) *** Anti-submarine destroyer ''Dupleix'' (D641) *** Anti-submarine destroyer ''Jean de Vienne'' (D643) *** Frigate ''Aconit'' (F713) *** Frigate ''Courbet'' (F712) *** Replenishment tanker ''Meuse'' (A607) *** Nuclear attack submarine ''Améthyste'' (S605) ** Landing helicopter dock ''Tonnerre'' (L9014) *** 14 × Aérospatiale Gazelle *** 4 ×

Eurocopter Tiger The Eurocopter Tiger is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter which first entered service in 2003. It is manufactured by Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter), which arose from the merger of Aérospatiale's and DASA's respective helic ...

*** 2 × Eurocopter Puma ** 2 × Atlantique 2 signals intelligence aircraft based at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily, Italy

Summary of action

Day 1: 19 March

The

anti-air destroyer ''Forbin'' and anti-air frigate ''Jean Bart'' were already off Libya when the operation commenced. The

deployed in its first strike force eight Rafale fighters, two

fighters and two

fighter-bombers supported by other aircraft listed above. Eight Rafale fighters patrolled the skies over Benghazi to prohibit the advance of Libyan ground forces. One opened fire on Libyan military vehicles at 16:45 local time. ''The Telegraph'' reported four Libyan tanks destroyed by French aircraft southwest of Benghazi. Aircraft returning from combat missions landed at

from which further combat sorties were launched.

Day 2: 20 March

Eleven

sorties A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warfare ...

were carried out by French aircraft over Libya. Task Force 473, the aircraft carrier ''Charles de Gaulle'' and its battle group, sailed from

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

Day 3: 21 March

Up to this day, 55 sorties were carried out by French aircraft over Libya.Libye : DĂŠjĂ 55 sorties pour les avions de l’armĂŠe de l’Air , Zone Militaire
/ref> The French Ministry of Defence (MoD) claimed a Mirage 2000-D destroyed another Libyan tank 100 km south of Benghazi.Le Figaro – Flash Actu : L'aviation française a détruit un blindé
/ref>

Day 4: 22 March

Aircraft from began operations over Libya, commencing with Rafale F3s conducting reconnaissance and patrols. and , which were already on station off Libya, joined Task Force 473. The number of combat aircraft forward deployed at Air Base 126 Solenzara was increased to 20 with the arrival of two more Mirage 2000-5 and two more Mirage 2000D, with support aircraft operating out of Saint-Dizier and Avord.

Day 5: 23 March

Rafale and Mirage 2000D aircraft from Solenzara and Rafale and Super Etendard aircraft from the ''Charles de Gaulle'' conducted reconnaissance and support sorties over Libya.

Day 6: 24 March

Rafale and Mirage 2000D aircraft attacked a Libyan air base, inland from the Mediterranean Sea, with SCALP GP missiles. Rafale, Mirage 2000D and Super Etendard aircraft flew four joint interdiction missions against Libyan ground forces. A Rafale destroyed a Libyan

Soko G-2 Galeb The Soko G-2 Galeb ( en, Seagull) is a Yugoslav single engine, two-seater jet trainer and light ground-attack aircraft. The G-2 was developed during the 1950s by the Aeronautical Technical Institute at Žarkovo as a replacement for the Lockhe ...

light attack jet with an AASM air-to-surface missile as it landed at Misrata. A patrol of two Mirage 2000Ds, equipped with

GBU-12 The GBU-12 Paveway II is an American aerial laser-guided bomb, based on the Mk 82 500-pound (227 kg) general-purpose bomb, but with the addition of a nose-mounted laser seeker and fins for guidance. A member of the Paveway series of weapons ...

laser-guided bombs, attacked loyalist artillery near Ajdabiyah.

Day 7: 25 March

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

i aircraft attached to

and French aircraft conducted joint reconnaissance sorties in the regions of Misrata, Zintan, Sirte and Ajdabiyah. Four Mirage 2000Ds conducted interdiction missions against loyalist artillery near Ajdabiyah. Two French and two Qatari Mirage 2000-5s conducted

air interdiction Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of ...

missions. Three French Mirage 2000-5s were moved from Solenzara to

Souda Air Base Chania International Airport "Daskalogiannis" is an international airport located near Souda Bay on the Akrotiri peninsula of the Greek island of Crete, serving the city of Chania, away. It is a gateway to western Crete for an increasing numb ...

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

Day 8: 26 March

French aircraft carried out several air strikes around Zintan and Misrata, destroying at least five

light attack jets and two

Mi-35 The Soviet and later Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter has been produced in many variants, as described below. History In 1966, Soviet aircraft designer Mikhail Mil created a mock-up design of a new helicopter (derived from the Mil Mi-8) which was ...

helicopters on the ground. French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s continued joint reconnaissance sorties from Souda Air Base.

Day 9: 27 March

Air Force and Navy Rafales attacked a command centre south of Tripoli. French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s conducted joint patrols and air interdiction missions from Souda Air Base. The number of French Mirage 2000-5s based as Souda was increased to four.

Day 10: 28 March

Air operations were planned to focus on the region around Zintan and Misrata. Air force Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds and a joint patrol of Navy Rafales and Super Etendards bombed an ammunition dump at Gharyan, south of Tripoli. Mirage F1CRs conducted reconnaissance missions for the first time in the operation.

Day 11: 29 March

Two patrols of Air Force Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds and a patrol of Navy Rafales and Super Etendards attacked anti-aircraft missile sites south west of Tripoli. Two joint patrols of French and Qatari Mirage 2000-5s conducted air interdiction sorties. Mirage 2000Ds and Super Etendards bombed a military depot south of Tripoli.

Day 12: 30 March

A joint strike force of Air Force Rafales and Mirage 2000Ds and Navy Rafales and Super Etendards attacked anti-aircraft missile sites south of Sirte. A patrol of two French and four Qatari Mirage 2000-5s conducted air interdiction sorties.

Day 13: 31 March

At 0600 GMT,

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

took command of all operations in Libya. Subsequent operations were conducted as part of Operation Unified Protector.

References

External links

Official site of the French Ministry of Defense about Opération Harmattan

* ttp://www.ffaa.net/history/wars-operations/libye/harmattan_moyens_navals_fr.htm Unofficial page about warships involved in Operation Harmattan
Unofficial page about CVN Charles de Gaulle in Operation Harmattan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harmattan, Operation 2011 in France Foreign intervention in the First Libyan Civil War France–Libya military relations International security March 2011 events in Africa Military operations involving France No-fly zone operations