The type of aircraft involved were F-111 Aardvarks [USAF - main effort], A-6 Intruders, A-7 Corsairs, and F-18 Hornets (45 birds total).  For the raid it was the first time a U.S. Prez used the words "War on Terror" [WOT] to explain military action to the press.  GWB would use a similar term "GWOT" 15 years later as he authorized the start of OEF air campaign in Afghanistan.

What went wrong with El Dorado Canyon: Bombing results were mixed, one F-111 was lost at the Libyan coast (inbound) and there was collateral damage -- including, ironically, damage to the French embassy. Nor did it immediately put an end to terrorism from Libya: Mr. Qaddafi's agents blew Pan Am Flight 103 out of the air over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 in retaliation for Op EDC [Boeing 747-100: 270 passengers from 21 countries were KIA plus 11 people on the ground].

What went right:  What was memorable about EDC was the Air Force's ability to fly a 6,000-mile mission, its reliance on guided bombs, the timing that brought planes from two services over the target within seconds of each other and the fact that it was all done at night [USN warbirds were the supporting effort and had relatively short flights from their carriers]. During the EDC strike USAF/USN aircraft produced 227 hits, 5 misses, and 8 aborts.  The raid became the model for American air operations in the last decade of the 20th century and the opening years of the 21st.

The single F-111 lost contained pilot MAJ Fernando L. Ribas [Puerto Rico] and weapon's officer CPT Paul F. Lorence [California].  Apparently they did not survive a low-altitude ejection and their bodies were recovered by Libyan fishermen some days later.  Ribas' body was released 3 years later [1989] by Qaddafi but Lorence's was kept.  Almost 20 years later he is still listed as "KIA body not returned" [KIA/BNR].  Two decades later the Lorence family still wants Paul's body back so he can receive an honorable burial at Arlington.  MAJ Ribas and CPT Lorence are listed as the first U.S. servicemen KIA in the "WOT/GWOT".

MAJ Ribas link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_L._Ribas-Dominicci

CPT Lorence link (including recent family statement): http://www.pownetwork.org/libya.htm

info@pownetwork.org

It is time for CPT Lorence to come home

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_El_Dorado_Canyon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_103

A good friend of mine was one of the intel planners for the 48th TFW during this mission.

The FB-111Fs were forced to fly around Spain and France adding like 3,000 miles to their round trip flight.  The USN birds had shorter flights from their Med stationed carriers.

You would think that after the successful efforts to get Libya to at least agree to compensate the Pan Am 103 families we would have also secured CPT Lorence's remains by now.  Its been 20 years of waiting for his family.  POW/MIA.

F-111 Aardvark

Yeah, I remember that.

I agree with your comments about it being "about time" to return the remains of our fallen warrior, too.

I'm Surprised Panama's still sea level, after all the Push Ups I did down there.

MIKE LANSAW        

RAKK, on the French embassy deal.  My main motivation for starting this thread was to discuss the fate of CPT Lorence's and MAJ Ribas' remains.  Neither you or I were in Libya that fateful 1986 morning so how are you so sure of what impacted the French embassy then?  My main source of info was the internet so I am not confirming or denying the Frog embassy info I posted.  That particular bit of information is unimportant to me.

abn_grunt, you mentioned the "MiG" shot down.  I am 'nitpicking' here but technically the Fitters are not MiGs.  There are mainly four (4) aircraft manufacturers in the former Soviet Union [CCCP]:  Mikoyan-Gurevich [MiG], Sukhoi [Su], Tupolev, and Antonov.  MiG and Su manufacture mainly fighter jets, Tupolev bombers and transport/cargo planes, and Antonov cargo/transport planes.  The 1981 Libyan 'Fitters' were therefore "Sukhois".  Tupolev and Antonov also manu