NATO Forces
Eleven of the 19 NATO member nations are currently contributing
forces to Operation Allied Force, including Belgium, Canada,
Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain,
the United Kingdom and the United States. NATO countries not
participating are the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Turkey. According to the U.S.
Department of Defense, between 300 and 400 aircraft are needed to
sustain the bombing campaign, including:
AH-64 APACHE HELICOPTER
The U.S. Army is sending 24 Apaches to the Balkans to engage
Serbian ground forces. The attack helicopters, which were used to
destroy Iraqi tanks in the Gulf War, are armed with 16 Hellfire
missiles or 76 70mm rockets, or a combination of the two weapons,
and a 30mm automatic cannon. These blunt-nosed, flat-bellied
aircraft can attack in darkness and bad weather.
B-2 BOMBER
Flying nearly 31 hours on a round trip from the U.S., each $2
billion low-visibility aircraft have rained down 16
high-precision bombs on a widely scattered array of Serbian
military targets.
B-52
These 40-year-old workhorses have stayed safely outside hostile
airspace. From afar, each Stratofortress has launched up to eight
AGM-86C cruise missiles packing 2,000-lb. warheads.
F-117A
The world's first Stealth warplane, the Nighthawk owned the skies
during the Gulf War and has been the deadliest warplane in the
U.S. inventory. Then on March 27, the Serbs shot one down. Until
Kosovo, the F-117A had flown 1,788 attack missions without a
scratch.
TOMAHAWK
Fired from ships and submarines, these satellite-guided cruise
missiles and their 1,000-lb. warheads have taken out key
air-defense and command-and-control sites. Some 334 cruise
missile cells are now carried by U.S. ships in the Mediterranean.
A-10
THUNDERBOLT
A twin-engine, one-seat plane, also known as the
"Warthog" because of its ungainly appearance, the A-10
is designed to attack troops and tanks on the ground.
Other Aircraft
Additional fighter jets in use include F-15's, F-16's, and
EA-6B's. Supporting the combatants are 10 reconnaissance
aircraft, 10 search-and-rescue aircraft, three airborne command
and control aircraft, and some 40 refuelers.
Naval Forces in the
Mediterranean
CRUISER USS
PHILIPPINE SEA (cruise-missile capable)
>> Destroyers USS Nicholson and USS Gonzales
>> Attack submarines USS Norfolk and USS Miami
Naval Forces in the
Adriatic
>> Destroyer USS Thorn (U.S.)
>> Frigate FGS Rheinland Pfalz (Germany)
>> Frigate ITS Zeffiro (Italy)
>> Frigate HNLMS Bloys Van Treslong (The Netherlands)
>> Frigate SPS Numancia (Spain)
>> Frigate HMS Iron Duke (United Kingdom)
>> Nassau Amphibious Ready Group: USS Nassau, USS Pensacola and USS Nashville
Serbian Forces
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, enemy forces consist
of the following:
Ground Forces
114,000 active-duty soldiers and 1,400 artillery pieces.
Anti-Aircraft Forces
100 surface-to-air missiles, all threatening to NATO airpower,
plus some 1,850 Yugoslav air defense artillery pieces.
Air Forces
240 combat aircraft, including MiG-21's and MiG-29's, and 48
attack helicopters.
Mechanized Forces
1,270 tanks, including T-72's, T-74's, T-55's and M-84's; 825
armored fighting vehicles.