Operation Echo

Last updated
Operation Echo
Part of the Kosovo War
CF-18 Aviano Italy.jpg
CF-18 Hornet departs Aviano Air Base, Italy
Date1999
Location
Kosovo, Yugoslavia
Result Yugoslav Armed Forces Victory
Belligerents
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg  Yugoslavia
Commanders and leaders
Jean Chrétien Slobodan Milošević
Units involved
Royal Canadian Air Force ensign.svg  Air Command Yugoslav Armed Forces

Operation Echo was the codename given by the Canadian Forces for its air activities during the Kosovo War in 1999. In support of the NATO Operation Allied Force Canadian aircraft based at Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy flew bombing missions over the Balkans. [1]

During the campaign the Canadian air contingent consisted of 18 CF-18 Hornet aircraft from 441 and 425 Tactical Fighter Squadrons, with 69 aircrew and 250 ground crew. Between March 24 and June 10, 1999, they flew 684 sorties in 224 missions, and dropped nearly 500,000 lb (230,000 kg) of gravity and precision-guided bombs. Despite the fact that they comprised less than 2% of the nearly 1,000 Allied aircraft engaged in the conflict, they flew on 10% of all bombing missions. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1914, with the formation of the Canadian Aviation Corps (CAC) that was attached to the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. It consisted of one aircraft that was never called into service. In 1918, a wing of two Canadian squadrons called the Canadian Air Force (CAF) was formed in England and attached to the Royal Air Force, but it also would never see wartime service. Postwar, an air militia also known as the Canadian Air Force was formed in Canada in 1920. In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) when it was granted the royal title by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet</span> Series of multirole combat aircraft

The McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet is a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) variant of the American McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. In 1980, the F/A-18 was selected as the winner of the New Fighter Aircraft Project competition and awarded a production order; deliveries of the CF-18 to the Canadian Armed Forces began in 1982. CF-18s have supported North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) air sovereignty patrols and participated in combat during the Gulf War in 1991, the Kosovo War in the late 1990s, and as part of the Canadian contribution to the international Libyan no-fly zone in 2011. CF-18s were also part of the Canadian contribution to the military intervention against ISIL, Operation Impact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Netherlands Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of the Netherlands armed forces

The Royal Netherlands Air Force is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was created in 1953 to succeed its predecessor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army, which was founded in 1913. The aerobatic display team of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, active from 1979 until 2019, was the Solo Display Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canadian Air Force</span> Air warfare and space branch of the Canadian Armed Forces

The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2020, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 12,074 Regular Force and 1,969 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 1,518 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and nine unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny is the current Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviano Air Base</span> Military airfield near Aviano, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Aviano Air Base is a base in northeastern Italy, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Pordenone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron</span> Military unit

419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron was a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron was originally formed during the Second World War and was most recently based at CFB Cold Lake. In its latest incarnation it was responsible for advanced tactical fighter training for pilots of the RCAF and as part of the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program using nine CT-155 Hawk trainers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">409 Tactical Fighter Squadron</span> Canadian military flying unit

409 Tactical Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron operates the CF-18 Hornet from CFB Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">99th Air Base Wing</span> Military unit

The 99th Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command (ACC) and its ACC subordinate organization, the United States Air Force Warfare Center. It is based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and also serves as the host wing at Nellis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RoAF 57th Air Base</span> Air base in Romania

The Romanian Air Force 57th Air Base "Mihail Kogălniceanu" is an air base located near Constanța, at the Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport. It is home to the 572nd Helicopter Squadron. The current base commander is Comandor Nicolae Crețu, succeeding Comandor Adrian Popescu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">415th Special Operations Squadron</span> Military unit

The 415th Special Operations Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 58th Operations Group at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron</span> Military unit

410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron, nicknamed the "Cougars", is a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft squadron currently located at Canada's primary training base for the CF-18, at Cold Lake, Alberta. The squadron was formed during the Second World War as an RCAF squadron under the Royal Air Force (RAF), at RAF Ayr, near Prestwick, in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">81st Fighter Squadron</span> Inactive squadron of the US Air Force

The 81st Fighter Squadron is an inactive squadron of the United States Air Force. It was last assigned to Air Education and Training Command, stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia as a geographically separate unit of the 14th Operations Group, 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. The squadron last operated the A-29B Super Tucano aircraft, conducting close air support training for allied nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">425 Tactical Fighter Squadron</span> Military unit

425 Tactical Fighter Squadron (French: 425e Escadron d'appui tactique, also "Alouette" Squadron, is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It operates CF-18 Hornet fighter jets from CFB Bagotville in Quebec, Canada. The squadron was originally formed during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">27th Special Operations Group</span> Military unit

The 27th Special Operations Group is the flying component of the 27th Special Operations Wing, assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The group is stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">319th Operations Group</span> Military unit

The 319th Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit assigned to 319th Reconnaissance Wing, Air Combat Command. It is stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota operating RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">48th Operations Group</span> Military unit

The 48th Operations Group is the flying component of the 48th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. The group is stationed at RAF Lakenheath, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">366th Operations Group</span> Military unit

The 366th Operations Group is the flying component of the 366th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. The 366th OG is stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">439 Combat Support Squadron</span> Military unit

439 Combat Support Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, based in Bagotville, Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Mobile</span> 2011 Canadian Operation in Libya

Operation Mobile was the name given to Canadian Forces activities in the 2011 military intervention in Libya. The United States' counterpart to this was Operation Odyssey Dawn, the French counterpart was Opération Harmattan and the British counterpart was Operation Ellamy. The no-fly zone was proposed during the Libyan Civil War to prevent government forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi from carrying out air attacks on anti-Gaddafi forces and civilians. The demonstrations in Libya were part of the larger Arab Spring movement that began in the country of Tunisia on 18 December 2010. When demonstrations began in Libya, the government of Muammar Gaddafi responded with systematic attacks by air and ground forces, and repression of the protesters. In a speech, Gaddafi promised to chase down the protesters and cleanse the country "house by house". Several countries prepared to take immediate military action at a conference in Paris on 19 March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Fighter Wing</span> Military unit

The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit.

References

  1. "Details/Information for Canadian Forces (CF) Operation Kinetic". CMP Directorate of History and Heritage. 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  2. Bergen, Bob (2013). "New historic Battle Honour for Canadian jet fighter squadrons bittersweet" (PDF). Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2013.