US leads ‘Odyssey Dawn’ initial attack on Libya

The first major attack of “Odyssey Dawn” came as 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles struck surface-to-air missiles, early warning sites, and key communication modes. It’s the first step in enforcing a no-fly zone.

As the situation in Libya escalated toward international war, the Obama administration was careful to portray US involvement as “supportive” with other countries in the lead. But on day one of the multinational conflict, it was the United States that provided most of the firepower and command direction for “Operation Odyssey Dawn.”

The guided-missile destroyer USS Barry launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn from the Mediterranean Sea.

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Just hours — perhaps minutes — after an emergency summit in Paris on implementing the UN Security Council resolution authorizing military action in Libya, French and British fighters were probing Libyan airspace.

There were early reports that French jets had hit as many as four Libyan army tanks. But the first major attack came as 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles from US Navy ships (and one British submarine) struck surface-to-air missiles, early warning sites, and key communication modes.