MISSION
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Last updated 21 June 1999
Operation
Allied Force Objective: "Our military objective is to degrade and damage
the military and security structure that President Milosevic (Yugoslav
President) has used to depopulate and destroy the Albanian majority in
Kosovo."
(From prepared statement of William S. Cohen, Secretary
of Defense, to the Senate Armed Services Committee on 15 April 1999.)
NATO Goals: Air strikes will be pursued until President
Milosevic:
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Ensures a verifiable stop to all military action and the
immediate ending of violence and repression
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Ensures the withdrawal from Kosovo of the military, police
and paramilitary forces
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Agrees to the stationing in Kosovo of an international military
presence
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Agrees to the unconditional and safe return of all refugees
and displaced persons and unhindered access to them by humanitarian aid
organizations
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Provides credible assurance of his willingness to work on
the basis of the Rambouillet Accords in the establishment of a political
framework agreement for Kosovo in conformity with international law and
the Charter of the United Nations.
From North Atlantic Council statement, 12 April 1999
Time of initial attack: 2:00 PM EST, 24 March 1999.
Suspension of bombing: 10:00 AM EST, 10 June 1999.
Bombing campaign halted: 10:50 AM EST, 20 June 1999.
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COMBATANTS
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Enemy Forces:
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Ground Forces: 114,000 active-duty soldiers and 1,400 artillery
pieces.
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Anti-Aircraft Forces: 100 surface-to-air missiles: a mix
of SA-2, SA-3, SA-6, SA-7, SA-9, SA-13, SA-14 and SA-16. All of these pose
a significant threat to NATO airpower. Yugoslavia also has 1,850 air defense
artillery pieces. Although not as effective as the missiles, these are
dangerous to NATO planes.
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Air Forces: 240 combat aircraft, including MiG-21s and MiG-29s,
and 48 attack helicopters.
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Mechanized Forces: 1,270 tanks, including T-72s, T-74s, T-55s
and M-84s and 825 armored fighting vehicles.
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There are approximately 40,000 Serb troops in and around
Kosovo now. These forces are equipped with tanks and APCs.
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Serb forces around the Kosovo border are divided into deployed
forces, garrison forces, and reserve forces. The deployed forces have about
96 tanks, and the garrison forces have around 30 tanks in garrison.
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There is a concentration of Serb troops along the border
between Kosovo and Macedonia, by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
These forces have been building up for several weeks.
Friendly Forces: All nineteen NATO
countries are currently contributing to Operation Allied Force. The countries
include Belgium, Canada,Czech
Rep, Denmark,France,Germany,
Greece,Hungary,
Iceland,Italy,
Luxembourg, The Netherlands,
Norway,Poland,
Portugal,Spain,
Turkey,United
Kingdom, and the United States.
U.S. Participation: Total: 31,600 personnel
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Ashore - 18,400
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Afloat - 13,200
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A crewmember from Carrier Airborne Early Warning
Squadron One Two Four (VAW-124) signals the pilot in an E-2C "Hawkeye"
on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), as he turns the props on
the flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by PhotographerÕs Mate 2nd Class
Jonathan R. Byrd)
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U.S. pilots are flying AC-130 "Spectre" gunships over
Kosovo in an effort to hasten the destruction of Yugoslav troops, tanks
and artillery concentrations. |
Naval Forces:
The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) consisting
of the USS Kearsarge (LHD 4), USS Ponce (LPD 15) and the USS Gunston Hall
(LSD44)
Allied Naval Contributions to Operation Allied Force:
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2 aircraft carriers (UK/FR)
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1 submarine (UK)
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6 destroyers (UK/FR/GR/IT)
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10 frigates (UK/SP/TU/IT/NL/GE/GR)
Air Campaign Assets:
Currently there are about 650 U.S. aircraft committed
to NATO. These include:
Allied Air Contributions to Operation Allied Force:
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277 aircraft
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192 fighter/bombers
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63 support
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19 reconnaissance
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3 helicopters
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