Coalition forces, with significant help from the United States, launched Operation Odyssey Dawn on 19 March to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973 to prevent further attacks on the people of Libya by forces loyal to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Coalition forces also implemented a no-fly zone. In the initial stages, US military forces took out Libya’s integrated air and missile defense system. A small sample of the US aircraft types that are involved in the operation includes F-16s, C-130Js, EC-130Js, C-5s, and P-3s. As of 28 March, the US had launched 192 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea and had flown 983 sorties, 370 of which were bombing missions against Gadhafi military sites and forces. The remaining sorties consisted of surveillance and refueling flights.
