On 19 March 2011, a multi-state coalition began a
military intervention in Libya, ostensibly to implement
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. The
United Nations Intent and Voting]was to have "an immediate ceasefire in Libya, including an end to the current attacks against civilians, which it said might constitute crimes against humanity" ... "imposing a ban on all flights in the country's airspace – a no-fly zone – and tightened sanctions on the Qadhafi regime and its supporters." The resolution was taken in response to events during the
Libyan Civil War, and military operations began, with American and British naval forces firing over 110
Tomahawk cruise missiles, the
French Air Force, British
Royal Air Force, and
Royal Canadian Air Force undertaking
sorties across Libya and a naval
blockade by Coalition forces. French jets launched air strikes against Libyan Army tanks and vehicles. The Libyan government response to the campaign was totally ineffectual, with Gaddafi's forces not managing to shoot down a single
NATO plane despite the country possessing 30 heavy
SAM batteries, 17 medium SAM batteries, 55 light SAM batteries (a total of 400-450 launchers, including 130-150
SA-6 launchers and some
SA-8 launchers), and 440-600 short-ranged air-defense guns. The official names for the interventions by the coalition members are
Opération Harmattan by France;
Operation Ellamy by the United Kingdom;
Operation Mobile for the Canadian participation and
Operation Odyssey Dawn for the United States.