Sunday, November 3, 2013

Jets 03/2012

The video lasts for a few seconds. The tank is not moving - seemingly unaware of its impending fate. A few seconds pass and it briefly disappears in a puff of smoke. It was a clinical end. As the smoke starts to clear it is evident that the nearby buildings are untouched by the precise nature of the strike. It was a scene that was to be repeated on many occasions in the course of Operation Unified Protector; the military campaign in Libya in 2011. The missile involved in the attack was the Dual-Mode Brimstone missile. In Libya in 2011 it was used as part of a comprehensive suite of weapons that allowed the RAF to conduct its military mission whilst reducing the risks to civilians that might happen to be in the area. The objective of the campaign was to protect the citizens of Libya who had rebelled against the Gadhafi regime and it was incumbent upon the aircrew executing the campaign to do all they could to avoid engaging targets where civilians might have been in close proximity.

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