CF-188 Hornets on Op MOBILE drop first JDAM bombs

By Captain Jill Strelieff

Operation MOBILE continues to see new Canadian Forces air capabilities, this time in the CF-188 Hornet Flight of the Sicily Air Wing, a unit of Task Force Libeccio based in Trapani, Italy.

The Hornets used the new Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) system for the first time on 1 October 2011, in a successful attack on a pro-Gadhafi ammunition storage facility. Until now, the CF-188 Hornets have been armed with laser-guided bombs.

"The introduction of the JDAM weapons system to the CF-188 Hornet Flight during an intense operation is truly a testament to the professional air crew and support staff that we have in Canada," said Brigadier-General Derek Joyce, commander of Task Force Libeccio. "We have significantly improved the operational flexibility of our fighters over Libya."

The JDAM system uses encrypted Global Positioning System signals to steer the weapon to the target with pinpoint accuracy, negating the effect of cloud cover or post-launch manoeuvres by the pilot. It also improves the survivability factor for combat aircrew by reducing the time they have to spend in harm’s way, especially over the target.

"This capability is really a force-multiplier," said Major James Kettles, commander of the CF-188 Hornet Flight. "It allows us to employ the most appropriate weapon for the target, effectively and efficiently, and with the greatest consideration for collateral damage."

Combining the JDAM system with laser-guided bombs increases the flexibility of the CF 188 Hornet Flight of the Sicily Air Wing in a dynamic operation.

Operation MOBILE is the Canadian Forces’ participation in Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR, the NATO-led effort to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas in Libya as authorized by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973.

With about 400 personnel deployed in Italy, Task Force Libeccio is the land-based component of Operation MOBILE, comprising the Task Force Headquarters in Naples, the Air Coordination Element in Poggio-Renatico, and the Sicily Air Wing, which has flying units in Trapani and Sigonella.

Capt Jill Strelieff is a Public Affairs Officer deployed with the Sicily Air Wing, part of Task Force Libeccio on Operation MOBILE.