From bits and pieces all over the web: There has been one strike mission so far. A French package of Air Force Rafale and Mirage 2000 aircraft (6 flying CAP, 2 reconnaissance, and 4 with air-to-ground weapons) flew in from central France to strike ground forces attacking Benghazi. At least 4 Libyan tanks were destroyed. Other Rafale fighters have flown CAP missions, and the Charles de Gaulle is on it's way fresh from deployment in the Afghanistan conflict. US ships and submarines have launched over 100 cruise missiles to take out SAM sites and they are providing reconnaissance and air refueling. The US is also flying EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft from Italy to jam ground radars and map out their locations. It is possible for these aircraft to carry anti-radiation missiles to home in on such radars, but from images I have seen it doesn't look like they are carrying any weapons. Spanish F-18's are in Italy. British and Canadian forces are yet to deploy, but they should be there shortly. Other forces will probably take longer to get into the theatre. The Libyan rebels have some aircraft as well. A rebel MiG-23 was accidentally shot down by their own forces yesterday.
The second day is quieter. The French are doing a CAP, but no one bothered them. The US Marines have dropped bombs. Here is a video of deployments off the USS Kearsarge just off the coast. In a typical modern bombing configuration it will carry a single laser-guided 500lb bomb and in the video of the Harriers coming back that station is empty. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDWHgbkzTS8"]YouTube - Navy and Marine Corps aircraft strike Libya as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn[/ame] There are also rumors of B-2's dropping bombs on airfields, but that has not been confirmed. The callsign of one of the American EC-130's is "Sheen53". Electronic warfare indeed. The British conducted a mission on the first day flying all the way from England. It was a group of Tornados launching Storm Shadows, a modern European cruise missile. They will be doing CAP missions with Typhoons, which will be the type's first combat. Planes from Qatar are headed to Italy, which is allowing missions from their bases but are not flying missions themselves. The Spanish forces include 4 F-18's and support craft. Canada is sending the bulk of their air force (6 F-18's) and Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Qatar will be sending something, although it isn't clear what yet. Libya's air defense is many decades old and probably in poor repair and run by poorly trained people. The larger sites are stuff that the west are fully prepared to deal with. Guns and man-portable systems can still get you if you are low and careless.
Places to get pictures: French Air Force site: http://www.defense.gouv.fr/english/content/view/full/111682 Site about all things Rafale: http://rafalenews.blogspot.com/ Images from the ground: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12798971
CF-18s to join Libya mission soon: MacKay http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/03/20/libya-canada-planes.html The planes that will be participating are from 425 (Alouette) Squadron based at Bagotville. Its rather ironic that this is coming at the same time as debate about purchasing the F-35 is starting up again here.
Follow this twitter account: A Dutch Ham Radio operator is picking up uncoded radio messages and putting them up on this account: http://twitter.com/#!/FMCNL Did you know the US Airforce is still using the old U-2 spy planes over Libya?