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Questions about Operation Deliberate Force

Short answers, pulled from the story.

What was Operation Deliberate Force and when did it take place?

Operation Deliberate Force was a NATO air campaign conducted between the 30th of August and the 20th of September 1995 to undermine the military capability of the Army of Republika Srpska during the Bosnian War. It involved 400 aircraft and 5,000 personnel from 15 nations, and struck 338 targets across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

What triggered Operation Deliberate Force?

The immediate trigger was the shelling of the Sarajevo marketplace on the 28th of August 1995 by Bosnian Serb forces, known as the second Markale massacre. The Srebrenica genocide, in which over 8,000 Bosniaks were killed in July 1995, and the earlier Markale massacres were also cited as precipitating factors.

Who commanded Operation Deliberate Force?

Admiral Leighton W. Smith Jr. commanded the operation. The Rapid Reaction Force ground component on Mount Igman was commanded separately by French General Andre Soubirou.

How many sorties and bombs were used in Operation Deliberate Force?

NATO flew 3,515 sorties during the campaign and dropped 1,026 bombs on 338 targets located within 48 target complexes. Of those bombs, 708 were precision-guided munitions. NATO aircraft struck 97% of their targets and seriously damaged more than 80% of them.

What was the Rapid Reaction Force's role in Operation Deliberate Force?

The Rapid Reaction Force was a 4,000-strong multinational brigade comprising 2,000 French, 1,500 British, and 500 Dutch troops deployed to Mount Igman. Its mixed artillery regiment fired 1,070 shells on Serbian positions on the 28th and the 29th of August 1995, targeting Serb artillery to support NATO air operations above.

What was the significance of the German Luftwaffe in Operation Deliberate Force?

Operation Deliberate Force marked the first time the German Luftwaffe had seen combat since 1945. Six interdictor-strike Tornados, escorted by eight ECR Tornados, identified Serb targets around Sarajevo for the Rapid Reaction Force artillery to engage.