Operation Deliberate Force
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Operation Deliberate Force was a sustained air campaign conducted by NATO to undermine the military capability of Bosnian Serbs who threatened or attacked UN-designated "safe areas" in Bosnia. The operation was carried out between the 30 August 1995 and the 20 September 1995, involving 400 aircraft and 5000 personnel from 15 nations.
It was initiated by NATO in response to a deteriorating situation. Although planned and approved by the NATO Atlantic Council in July 1995, the operation was triggered in direct response to the Bosnian Serb shelling of the Sarajevo marketplace on August 28, 1995 killing 38.
During the campaign, a total of 3515 sorties were flown against 338 individual targets. Aircraft involved in the campaign used to operate from Italy and the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. 68% of the bombs used in this campaign were Precision-guided munitions.
Bosnian Serb integrated air defence network, comprising of aircraft and SAM, presented a high-threat environment to the allied air operations. A French Mirage 2000 was shot down by a Serbian SAM on the 30 August 1995.
As a counter to the operation some 400 UNPROFOR peacekeepers (mostly from NATO nations) were seized and used as human shields at key Bosnian-Serb sites.
Also in August, Croatian Forces conducted Operation Storm in the Republic of Serb Krajina.
The air attacks provided part of the international pressure in bringing the Serbian faction to the negotiation table at Dayton.
External links
- [Operation Deliberate Force] by John Pike at Globalsecurity.org
- [Official Deliberate Force FactSheet]
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