Global InformationOperation Unified Protector information
| Operation Unified Protector | |||||||
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| Part of the 2011 military intervention in Libya | |||||||
 NATO Unified Protector logo | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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List
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 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 James G. Stavridis[2](SACEUR)  Charles Bouchard[2](Operational Commander) Ralph Jodice[2](Air Commander)  Rinaldo Veri[2](Maritime Commander) |
Muammar Gaddafi † (De facto Commander-in-Chief) Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr †(Minister of Defense) Khamis al-Gaddafi †(Khamis Brigade Commander) Ali Sharif al-Rifi(Air Force Commander) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| See deployed forces | |||||||
Operation Unified Protector was a NATO operation in 2011 enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 concerning the Libyan Civil War and adopted on 26 February and 17 March 2011, respectively. These resolutions imposed sanctions on key members of the Gaddafi government and authorized NATO to implement an arms embargo, a no-fly zone and to use all[citation needed] means necessary, short of foreign occupation, to protect Libyan civilians and civilian populated areas.[3][non-primary source needed]
The operation started on 23 March 2011 and gradually expanded during the following weeks, by integrating more and more elements of the multinational military intervention, which had started on 19 March in response to the same UN resolutions. As of 31 March 2011 it encompassed all international operations in Libya. NATO support was vital to the rebel victory over the forces loyal to Gaddafi. The operation officially ended on 31 October 2011, after the rebel leaders, formalized in the National Transitional Council, had declared Libya liberated on 23 October.
The operation began with a naval arms embargo, while command of the no-fly zone and the air strikes against Libyan Armed Forces remained under command of the international coalition, led by France, the United Kingdom and the United States, due to lack of consensus between NATO members.[4][non-primary source needed] On 24 March NATO decided to take control of the no-fly zone enforcement, by integrating the air assets of the international coalition under NATO command, although the command of air strikes on ground targets remained under national authority.[5][non-primary source needed][6] A few days later, on 27 March NATO decided to implement all military aspects of the UN resolution and formal transfer of command occurred at 06:00 GMT on 31 March 2011, formally ending the national operations such as the U.S.-coordinated Operation Odyssey Dawn.[7][non-primary source needed][8]
The arms embargo was initially carried out using mainly ships from NATO's Standing Maritime Group 1 and Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1 already patrolling the Mediterranean Sea at the time of the resolution, enforced with additional ships, submarines and maritime surveillance aircraft from NATO members. They were to "monitor, report and, if needed, interdict vessels suspected of carrying illegal arms or mercenaries". The no-fly zone was enforced by aircraft transferred to Unified Protector from the international coalition, with additional aircraft from NATO and other allied nations. The air strikes, although under central NATO command, were only conducted by aircraft of the nations agreeing to enforce this part of the UN resolution.
- ^ "JFC NAPLES | Home" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011. NATO fact sheet on contributing nations as of 6 April 2011
- ^ a b c d "Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR" (PDF). NATO.int. NATO. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
Nato fact sheet on command and control
- ^ "JFC NAPLES | Home" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973
- ^ NATO arms embargo fact sheet
- ^ NATO no fly zone fact sheet
- ^ Traynor, Ian; Watt, Nicholas (25 March 2011). "Nato to control no-fly zone after France gives way to Turkey". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ NATO protection of civilians fact sheet
- ^ "Odyssey Dawn, Unified Protector? Here's what it means..." US EUCOM. Retrieved 5 June 2011.