The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
OPERATION ALLIED FORCE
From Operation "Deny Flight" to "Allied Force"
On Oct. 16, 1992, NATO forces began monitoring flights in the air space over Bosnia-Herzegovina in its first operational mission. This was in response to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 781, which requested member states to take steps nationally, or through regional agencies to assist UN protection forces to monitor the ban on military flights in that airspace. In April 1993, Aviano-based aircraft began to patrol the "no-fly" zone . By early 1994, Aviano supported 46 aircraft dedicated to Deny Flight and at the height of the operation, supported more than 65. Aviano aircraft participated in all combat missions conducted under Deny Flight.
The operation entered its third year April 12, 1995, with approximately 18,500 "no-fly" zone sorties flown over Bosnia-Herzegovina from Aviano.
In the fall of 1995, UN sanctioned operation Deliberate Force against Bosnian-Serb forces and it was executed by NATO with more than 400 missions flown by 16th Air Force. By mid-December of 1995, Aviano was the main platform for almost 1,000 Airborne troops from the Southern European Task Force headed for duty at Tuzla, Bosnia, as part of operation Joint Endeavor. It continued to support that airbase with weekly resupply missions.
Following the signing of the Dayton peace accord, after nearly 1,000 days and over 100.000 flights, operation Deny Flight ended Dec. 21, 1995.
Decisive Edge, Deliberate Guard and Decisive Forge followed to mantain the peace in the Balkan peninsula.
(Aeromedia, May 1999)