Operational Media Update for 19 July 2011

NATO and Libya

20 July. Allied Joint Force Command NAPLES, SHAPE, NATO HQ

(more information: http://www.jfcnaples.nato.int/)

Mission

NATO took control of all military operations for Libya under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1970 & 1973 on 31 March 2011. The aim of Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR is to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under attack or threat of attack.

The mission consists of three elements: an arms embargo, a no-fly-zone and actions to protect civilians from attack or the threat of attack.

Over the past 24 hours, NATO has conducted the following activities associated with Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR:

Air Operations

Since the beginning of the NATO operation (31 March 2011, 06.00GMT) a total of 15,782 sorties, including 5,942 strike sorties*, have been conducted.

Sorties conducted 19JULY: 113

Strike sorties conducted 19 JULY: 40

*Strike sorties are intended to identify and engage appropriate targets, but do not necessarily deploy munitions each time.

Key Hits 19 JULY:

In the vicinity of Brega: 5 Armed Vehicles, 1 Armoured Fighting Vehicle.

In the vicinity of Misrata: 1 Anti-Aircraft Gun, 2 Armed Vehicle.

In the vicinity of Tripoli: 6 Surface-to-Air-Missile Launcher, 2 Armed Vehicles.

In the vicinity of Waddan: 1 Military Storage Facility.

In the vicinity of Zlitan: 2 Command and Control Nodes, 2 Military Storage Facility, 3 Military Facilities,

2 Military Refuelling Areas.

Arms Embargo Activities9

A total of 17 ships under NATO command are actively patrolling the Central Mediterranean.

10 Vessels were hailed on 19 JULY to determine destination and cargo. 3 boardings (no denials) were conducted.

A total of 1823 vessels have been hailed, 179 boardings and 9 denials have been conducted since the beginning of arms embargo operations.

International Humanitarian Assistance Movements as recorded by NATO

Total of Humanitarian Movements**: 571 (air, ground, maritime)

Ships delivering Humanitarian Assistance 19 JULY: 1

Aircrafts delivering Humanitarian Assistance 19 JULY: 8

**Some humanitarian movements cover several days.

Command and Control

NATO’s operational commander for Operation Unified Protector is Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard of the Canadian Air Force. His office and staff is located at the Allied Joint Force Command Naples.