AFA President Discusses Libyan No-Fly Zone with Bloomberg

AFA President and CEO Mike Dunn defines the objectives of the "no-fly zone" over Libya with Bloomberg BusinessWeek:

Allied Warplanes, Ships Move Into Place to Hit Qaddafi’s Forces
by: By Peter S. Green and Tony Capaccio
March 19, 2011

A no-fly zone over Libya could be set up in matter of days, as soon as political leaders define the objective of air interdiction and the rules of engagement, a retired senior U.S. Air Force general said.

“You can set it up in a few days, but it’s not going to be 24 hours a day,” retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Michael M. Dunn said in an interview this week. “If you want a comprehensive no-fly zone, it’d take a week.”

“This is an act of war,” said Dunn, noting that Libyans likely would be killed if the U.S. and allies destroy the country’s air defenses.

At least 200 planes would be needed to keep up 24-hour coverage of Libyan air space, though given the country’s limited air force, fewer aircraft might be effective in the short run, said Dunn, the president of the Air Force Association, a non- governmental group that promotes air power and the interests of former service members.

“You don’t have to cover the whole country, just the places where there are bases,” he said. “The objective is keeping Libya’s air force grounded, not taking it out.”

Read the full article here: Allied Warplanes, Ships Move Into Place to Hit Qaddafi’s Forces