Operation El Dorado Canyon was a United States air strike on 15 April 1986 against targets in Tripoli and Benghazi, Libya, in retaliation for the Libyan-sponsored bombing of a West Berlin discotheque that killed American servicemen. U.S. Air Force F-111 bombers and Navy carrier aircraft struck command centers, training camps and airfields; one F-111 was shot down, killing its two-man crew, while Libya suffered dozens of military and civilian casualties.
Facts
Operation Type LocationTripoli and Benghazi, Libya 1 ParticipantsUnited States Air Force 48th Tactical Fighter Wing (F-111F), United States Navy carrier air wings from USS America and USS Coral Sea 1 ObjectiveReduce Libya's capacity to support and train terrorists in retaliation for the bombing of a West Berlin nightclub 1 OutcomeGround targets in Tripoli and Benghazi were destroyed; one U.S. F-111 was shot down with both crew killed; Libya suffered an estimated 40 to 60 casualties 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Fought In
Operation El Dorado Canyon, the 1986 airstrikes on Libya, was flown in part by United States Air Force F-111s from bases in England
Operation El Dorado Canyon was flown in part by United States Navy carrier aircraft in the Mediterranean
Sources
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.