Twenty-five years ago on April 15, 1986, Air Force and Navy strike aircraft dealt a blow to Libyan dictator Muammar' Qaddafi's belligerence and overt support of terrorism by executing Operation Eldorado Canyon. While a force of F-111s from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, (taking off on April 14, 1986) struck targets in Tripoli, including Qaddafi's headquarters, Navy strike aircraft from the Sixth Fleet pounded sites in Benghazi. A host of USAF and Navy platforms supported the mission, which President Reagan ordered after a string of deadly terrorist attacks were traced back to Qaddafi's regime. Here, a ground crew prepares one of Lakenheath's F-111s for the attack, April 14, 1986.
Air Force photo
