The ability of airpower
More than anything, this should prove the ability of airpower to respond to a situation - please take note Gen Richards.
However, this does show how foreign policy is full of mission creep. Today we are going to give the rebels communications kit, presumably so they can call for Close Air Support and the Italians are going to arm them. However, what happens if they call our airpower to attack when innocent civilians are going to get hurt as they attack the legitimate government of Libya?
It just seems that we are using airpower to shape the battlespace and are doing more than attacking units engaged in attacking the innocent. Why did we attack the ammunition depot? Don't get me wrong, I am not some conscientious objector, but I just want to go into combat operations knowing what the end state is.
The clear message is that our airpower allows the selective strikes against a mobile enemy and it combines the FIND-FIX-STRIKE cycle that the Land Forces like to claim they can do. If the UK wants to remain a world player, then this underlines the need to invest in our air capability.
Listen in Mr Cameron, Dr Fox and Gen Richards.