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Operation Deliberate Force | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Escalating Conflict And No-Fly Zones —
Operation Deliberate Force.
~7 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
The Bosnian War began on the 1st of April 1992 and raged until the 14th of December 1995. United Nations Security Council Resolution 743 passed on the 21st of February 1992 created UNPROFOR to keep populations alive. This mandate allowed the delivery of humanitarian aid but did not authorize combat operations against aggressors. On the 9th of October 1992, a new resolution prohibited unauthorized military flights in Bosnian airspace. NATO monitored these violations through Operation Sky Monitor without taking action against violators. Five hundred documented violations occurred before the Security Council passed Resolution 816 on the 31st of March 1993. This resolution authorized states to use measures to ensure compliance with the no-fly zone over Bosnia. NATO initiated Operation Deny Flight on the 12th of April to enforce this rule. Serb forces continued attacking UN designated safe areas despite these efforts. The UN peacekeepers remained unable to fight back as their mandate lacked authority for such actions. Resolution 836 passed on the 4th of June authorized the use of force by UNPROFOR to protect specially designated safe zones. A naval blockade called Operation Sharp Guard began on the 15th of June between NATO and the Western European Union.
Catalysts For Intervention
The shelling of the Sarajevo marketplace on the 28th of August 1995 served as the immediate instigating factor behind NATO's decision to launch the operation. This event followed earlier violence including the first Markale marketplace massacre which occurred on the 6th of February 1994. UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali formally requested NATO to confirm that air strikes would be carried out immediately after that first attack. NATO authorized US Admiral Jeremy Boorda to launch air strikes against artillery positions in and around Sarajevo on the 9th of February. Only Greece did not support the use of air strikes but it did not veto the proposal. An ultimatum demanded that Serbs remove heavy weapons from around Sarajevo by midnight of 20, the 21st of February or face air strikes. Sarajevo enjoyed its first casualty-free day in 22 months since April 1992 on the 12th of February 1994. The Banja Luka incident on the 28th of February saw NATO fighters shoot down four Bosnian Serb fighters for violating a no-fly zone. This became the first combat operation in the history of NATO. On 10 and the 11th of April 1994, UNPROFOR called in air strikes to protect the Goražde safe area. Two US F-16 jets bombed a Bosnian Serb military command outpost near Goražde. This marked the first time in NATO's history it had ever attacked ground targets with aircraft.
Aerial Campaign Execution
Operation Deliberate Force ran between the 30th of August and the 20th of September 1995 involving 400 aircraft and 5,000 personnel from 15 nations. Admiral Leighton W. Smith Jr. commanded the campaign which struck 338 Bosnian Serb targets. Overall, 1,026 bombs were dropped during the operation with 708 being precision-guided munitions. As many as 400 NATO aircraft participated in the air campaign while flying 3,515 sorties. NATO aircraft struck 97% of their targets and seriously damaged more than 80% of them. The United States conducted 2,318 sorties while Great Britain flew 326 sorties. France contributed 284 sorties and the Netherlands provided 198 sorties. Turkey sent 78 sorties and Germany sent 59 sorties. Italy and Spain contributed 35 and 13 sorties respectively. Aircraft operated from Italian air bases such as Aviano Air Base and from US aircraft carriers in the Adriatic Sea. French aircraft carriers Foch and Clemenceau also supported operations in the Adriatic Sea. On the 30th of August, a French Mirage 2000N was shot down by a Bosnian Serb shoulder-fired 9K38 Igla near Pale. On 19 occasions, depleted uranium munitions were used against targets around Sarajevo and Han Pijesak.
Ground Support And Rapid Reaction
France, the United Kingdom and the United States decided to send a multinational brigade to the Mount Igman area on the 16th of June 1995. UNSC Resolution 998 authorized the creation of this force which consisted of 2000 French troops, 1500 British troops and 500 Dutch troops for a total of 4000 military personnel. Commanded by French General Andre Soubirou, the MN brigade became operational in August 1995 on Mount Igman. The main force included a mixed artillery regiment with eight 155 mm AUF1 howitzers from France. A British artillery group brought twelve 105 mm light guns while French and Dutch units provided a 120 mm Heavy Mortar company. The main action occurred on 28 and the 29th of August 1995 when firing 1070 shells on Serbian positions. This included 305 155 mm shells, 408 120 mm shells and 357 105 mm shells. The German Luftwaffe saw action for the first time since 1945 during Operation Deliberate Force. Six interdictor-strike version Tornados pinpointed Serb targets around Sarajevo for the Rapid Reaction Force artillery to attack. Eight ECR Tornados escorted these strike aircraft. Netherlands and Turkiye participated in the operation with eighteen F-16As and eighteen F-16Cs respectively.
Hostage Crises And Losses
On the 14th of April, Bosnian Serbs took 150 UN personnel hostage following air strikes to protect the Goražde safe area. On the 16th of April, a British Sea Harrier was shot down over Goražde by Bosnian Serb forces. That incident became known as the Goražde incident. Around the 29th of April, a Danish contingent on peacekeeping duty in Bosnia was ambushed at the village of Kalesija. The ambush was dispersed when UN forces retaliated with heavy fire in what would be known as Operation Bøllebank. On 25, the 26th of May 1995, NATO aircraft carried out air strikes against Bosnian Serb ammunition depots in Pale. In retaliation, the Bosnian Serbs took 370 UN peacekeepers in Bosnia hostage and used them as human shields. An F-16 piloted by Captain Scott O'Grady was shot down by a Bosnian Serb 2K12 Kub surface-to-air missile on the 2nd of June. O'Grady was forced to eject from the aircraft and rescued six days later by US Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Two French airmen captured after their Mirage 2000N was downed on the 30th of August 1995 were Lt. Jose Souvignet and Capt. Frederic Chiffot. They were released only upon the end of the Bosnian War on the 12th of December 1995.
Military Offensives And Ceasefire
The bombing campaign ran roughly conterminous with Operation Mistral 2 which involved two linked military offensives launched in western Bosnia. These offensives included forces from the Croatian Army, the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Croatian Defence Council. On the 30th of August, NATO announced the start of air strikes supported by UNPROFOR rapid reaction force artillery attacks. The operation was triggered in direct response to the second Markale massacre on the 28th of August 1995. NATO stopped the air raids and gave an ultimatum to Bosnian Serb leaders on the 1st of September. The deadline for compliance was set as the 4th of September. NATO resumed air attacks on Bosnian Serb positions around Sarajevo and near the Bosnian Serb headquarters at Pale on the 5th of September 1995. The same day, Bosnian Serb forces shot down a USAF MQ-1 Predator drone over Nevesinje. On the night of the 10th of September, the USS Missouri launched a Tomahawk missile strike from the central Adriatic Sea against a key air defense radio relay tower at Lisina. USAF F-15E and US Navy F/A-18 fighter-bombers hit the same targets with about a dozen precision-guided bombs. Finally on the 20th of September, General Bernard Janvier and Admiral Leighton W. Smith Jr. agreed that resumption of air strikes was not necessary.
Post-War Peacekeeping Legacy
The shelling of the Sarajevo marketplace led to the way for a negotiated settlement after lifting the siege of Sarajevo. In December 1995, NATO dispatched a 60,000-strong peacekeeping force into Bosnia as part of the IFOR. This force enforced the Dayton Peace Agreement to secure peace and prevent renewed hostilities between three warring factions. In December 1996, the NATO-led SFOR was established to replace the IFOR to enforce the Dayton Peace Agreement. This lasted up until December 2004 when Operation Althea replaced the NATO-led SFOR. The two French airmen captured in August were released only upon the end of the Bosnian War on the 12th of December 1995. Upon being released they told reporters that they had been treated well while in captivity. A USAF RQ-1 Predator drone was shot down by Serb forces over Krepšić near Brčko on the 11th of August. Another one was lost to mechanical failure some days later. The VRS integrated air defense network presented a high-threat environment to NATO air operations throughout the campaign.
What was Operation Deliberate Force and when did it take place?
Operation Deliberate Force ran between the 30th of August and the 20th of September 1995 involving 400 aircraft and 5,000 personnel from 15 nations. Admiral Leighton W. Smith Jr. commanded the campaign which struck 338 Bosnian Serb targets.
Why did NATO launch Operation Deliberate Force against Republika Srpska?
The shelling of the Sarajevo marketplace on the 28th of August 1995 served as the immediate instigating factor behind NATO's decision to launch the operation. This event followed earlier violence including the first Markale marketplace massacre which occurred on the 6th of February 1994.
How many sorties were flown during Operation Deliberate Force by participating nations?
As many as 400 NATO aircraft participated in the air campaign while flying 3,515 sorties. The United States conducted 2,318 sorties while Great Britain flew 326 sorties and France contributed 284 sorties.
Which countries provided troops for Operation Deliberate Force and what equipment did they use?
France, the United Kingdom and the United States decided to send a multinational brigade to the Mount Igman area on the 16th of June 1995. The main force included a mixed artillery regiment with eight 155 mm AUF1 howitzers from France and twelve 105 mm light guns from Britain.
What happened to French pilots shot down during Operation Deliberate Force?
Two French airmen captured after their Mirage 2000N was downed on the 30th of August 1995 were Lt. Jose Souvignet and Capt. Frederic Chiffot. They were released only upon the end of the Bosnian War on the 12th of December 1995.