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An Arab-Western force to conduct operations in Libya?

If authorized by the UN Security Council, the French Rafale and Mirage and the British Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon could be among the first European means to position themselves over Libya to carry out a No Fly Zone, with the support of the Awacs, et American F-16s. On the European side, we could also count on Belgian F-16s (possibly within the framework of NATO's NRF) or even Dutch; these two countries being subject one to information, the other to the authorization of their Parliament.

The Solenzara bases in Corsica (France), Akrotiri (Cyprus / United Kingdom), Sigonella in Sicily (Italy), Souda in Crete (Greece) could accommodate the various air fleets.

A Mirage 2000 in exercise in Qatar (credit: French Air Force)

On the Arab countries side, we could find Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, even Egypt, Lebanon symbolically (it has no air force) or Morocco (accustomed to the operations of the NATO, present in northern Kosovo with the French in Kfor). All acting in the form of a coalition of goodwill. NB: information to be confirmed

(update March 18, 1h) Italy confirms that it is making the Sigonella base available to the coalition. Canada promises to send 6 Hornet CF-18 planes to ensure the no fly zone.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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