Libya's RAF, Army and Royal Navy heroes welcomed home 03.11.11
18Air crews and support staff who have recently returned from completing their mission in Libya have been officially welcomed home today. Up to 100 personnel from the RAF, Royal Navy and Army were congratulated at an event at RAF Waddington, near Lincoln. British crews who have returned from three Mediterranean bases - Akrotiri, Cyprus; Gioia del Colle in southern Italy and Trapani in Sicily - along with those who flew missions from the UK, attended. The crews played a vital role in more than 3,000 UK sorties, of which more than 2,100 were strike attacks on around 640 targets. They were deployed under Operation Ellamy as part of the NATO operation to support the rebel movement in Libya and protect the country's people. Among those being celebrated at today's event were the crews from Tornado GR4s, who carried out reconnaissance and surveillance as well as air strikes, and Typhoon jets, which along with strike capability were also tasked with patrolling the no-fly zone. Crews from Sentinel and Sentry aircraft, responsible for gathering intelligence and monitoring movement on the ground, were also there, along with Army Apache attack helicopter and VC10 refuelling crews. At its peak, the UK had 2,300 personnel, 37 aircraft and four ships committed to the campaign in Libya.