Opération Harmattan was the French participation in the 2011 military intervention in Libya. 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 primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

' counterpart to this was Operation Odyssey Dawn, 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 ...

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. 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 from carrying out air attacks on anti-Gaddafi forces. 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. S ...

on 19 March 2011. French

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 ran ...

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 ** 5 ×

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 rang ...

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 (''A ...

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- ...

** 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. Squad ...

** 6 × C135 aerial refueling planes from GRV 02.093 Bretagne,

Istres-Le Tubé Air Base Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (french: Base Aérienne 125 or BA 125) is a large multi-role tasked French Air and Space Force base located near Istres, northwest of Marseille, France. The airport facilities are also known as Istres - Le Tubé (I ...

** 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 ** 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. I ...

, Corsica *

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 **** 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 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 e ...

transport helicopters *** Anti-air destroyer ''Forbin'' (D620) (later transferred to

Operation Unified Protector Operation Unified Protector was a NATO operation in 2011 enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 concerning the Libyan Civil War and adopted on 26 February and 17 March 2011, respectively. These resolutions imposed ...

) *** 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 The Aérospatiale Gazelle (company designations SA 340, SA 341 and SA 342) is a French five-seat helicopter, commonly used for light transport, scouting and light attack duties. It is powered by a single Turbomeca Astazou turbine engine and wa ...

*** 4 × Eurocopter Tiger *** 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 French Air Force deployed in its first strike force eight

fighters, two

fighters and two

fighter-bombers supported by other aircraft listed above. Eight

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

on Corsica 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 light attack jet with an

AASM AASM may refer to: * Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, a French precision guided munition * Australian Active Service Medal * American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a professional organization * The Anglo-American School of Moscow The Anglo-American Sch ...

air-to-surface missile as it landed at Misrata. A patrol of two Mirage 2000Ds, equipped with GBU-12 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 Operation Odyssey Dawn 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, and ...

Day 8: 26 March

French aircraft carried out several air strikes around Zintan and Misrata, destroying at least five Soko G-2 Galeb 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 No ...

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

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