3C-Combat Support: Balkans (1992-99)

This collection includes military aircraft involved in Balkan operations during my service, though I did not provide direct support to these aircraft. I did have the opportunity to provide weather briefings to transient aircrews operating these aircraft during my time in service. Most of the same U.S. aircraft types I supported in Operation Southern Watch also participated in these Balkan operations. NATO forces played a much larger role in the Balkans than in Southwest Asia.

OPERATION PROVIDE PROMISE (1992-96)
In April 1992, the U.S. recognized Bosnia’s independence and began airlifting relief supplies to Sarajevo. However, Bosnian Serb forces took control of the airport in May 1992, severely restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid. The UN took control of the airport in June, reopening it for international relief flights. Between July 1992 and July 1994, nine U.S. Air Force cargo aircraft were hit with gunfire in or over Bosnia.
* C-130H Hercules (US Air Force)
* C-141B Starlifter (US Air Force)

OPERATION SKY MONITOR (1993) / DENY FLIGHT (1993-95) / DELIBERATE FORCE (1995)
In April 1993, NATO initiated operations to enforce a UN no-fly zone and protect humanitarian airlift over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mission expanded to include close air support for UN troops and coercive airstrikes against targets in Bosnia. Twelve NATO members contributed to the operation until its end in December 1995. Notable NATO warplanes included:

Belgium
- F-16A Fighting Falcon (Belgian Air Force)

France
- F-8P Crusader (French Naval Aviation)
- Étendard IVP (French Naval Aviation)
- Super Étendard (French Naval Aviation)
- Mirage 2000D (French Air Force)

Germany
* Tornado ECR (German Air Force)

Netherlands
- F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Royal Netherlands Air Force)

Spain
- EAV-8B Harrier II (Spanish Navy)
* EF-18A Hornet (Spanish Air Force)

United Kingdom
- Sea Harrier FA.2 (UK Royal Navy)
* Jaguar GR.3 (UK Royal Air Force)

OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR (1995) / JOINT GUARD (1996)
After the 1995 Dayton Agreement, the UN formed the Implementation Force (IFOR) to maintain peace in Bosnia. IFOR was succeeded by the Stabilization Force (SFOR) in 1996. U.S. operations to support these missions were known as Joint Endeavor and Joint Guard, which were primarily ground operations supported by reconnaissance aircraft.

United States
• E-8A JSTARS (US Air Force)

OPERATION ALLIED FORCE / NOBLE ANVIL (1999)
NATO launched Operation Allied Force to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo, triggered by the ethnic cleansing of Albanians by Yugoslav forces. Noble Anvil was the U.S. operation supporting NATO’s campaign, which ultimately forced Yugoslavia to allow UN peacekeepers into Kosovo (KFOR).

Belgium
- F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Belgian Air Force)

Canada
- CF-188 Hornet (Royal Canadian Air Force)

Denmark
- F-16A Fighting Falcon (Royal Danish Air Force)

France
- Super Étendard Modernisé (French Naval Aviation)

Italy
* A-11 Ghibli (Italian Air Force)
* AV-8B+ Harrier II (Italian Naval Aviation)
- F-104S Starfighter (Italian Air Force)
* Tornado A-200 (Italian Air Force)

Netherlands
- F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Royal Netherlands Air Force)

Norway
- F-16A Fighting Falcon (Royal Norwegian Air Force)

Turkey
- F-16C Block 40 Fighting Falcon (Turkish Air Force)

United Kingdom
- Harrier GR.7 (UK Royal Navy)

United States
- AV-8B Harrier II (US Marine Corps)
• B-2A Spirit (US Air Force)

* Wishlist
• Main topic featured in a different collection