Libya updateU.S. deploys UAVs to Libya

Published 22 April 2011

In response to NATO’s air dominance over Libya, the Libyan military and the foreign militias Gaddafi has recruited from other African countries have changed their tactics; they now ride around in pick-up trucks dressed in civilian cloths, thus making it difficult to identify them from a high-flying aircraft; also, in addition to shelling cities and other locations where the anti-Gaddafi forces congregate, the pro-Gaddafi forces have engaged in urban warfare; they place snipers on balconies and roof-tops to terrorize the pro-rebel population at the same time that small units, operating in the streets, ambush and engage the disorganized rebel forces; the UAVs are meant to provide NATO commanders with better information on what is going on streets and between buildings; Gen. James Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the use of drones will give the edge to the international forces in crowded urban areas, where they are struggling “to pick friend from foe”

Predator armed with Hellfire-C missiles // Source: airforce-technology.com

Robert Gates, the U.S. secretary of defense, acknowledged that President Barack has approved to use of two U.S. UAVs for surveillance and target acquisition in Libya. “What the president has said that where we have some unique capabilities, he is going to use those, and in fact he has approved the use of armed predators, and I think today may have been in fact their first mission,” Gates said.

In response to NATO’s air dominance over Libya, the Libyan military and the foreign militias Gaddafi has recruited from other African countries have changed their tactics. They now ride around in pick-up trucks dressed in civilian cloths, thus making it difficult to identify them from a high-flying aircraft. Also, in addition to shelling cities and other locations where the anti-Gaddafi forces congregate, the pro-Gaddafi forces have engaged in urban warfare. They place snipers on balconies and roof-tops to terrorize the pro-rebel population at the same time that small units, operating in the streets, ambush and engage the disorganized rebel forces.

The UAVs are meant to provide NATO commanders with better information on what is going on streets and between buildings.

 

The first UAVs were to be launched yesterday (Thursday), but bad weather caused a delay in deployment.

Fox News reports that Gates rejected suggestions that the deployment of the UAVs was evidence that the mission in Libya is expanding beyond its original goals.

I think that the president has been clear to us that the primary strike role has been turned over to our allies and our friends, and if we can make a modest contribution with these armed Predators, we’ll do it, but I don’t think any of us see that as mission creep,” he said.

The BBC quotes Gates to say that the two UAVS were a “modest contribution” by the United States in light of changing circumstances on the ground.

Gen. James Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the use of drones will give the edge to the international forces in crowded urban areas, where they are struggling “to pick friend from foe.”

So a vehicle like the Predator that can get down lower and can get ID’s better helps us,” he said.