So the land based jets have been aided by shipborne CSAR and ISTAR (ASaCs Sea Kings) - both of which reqiure a carrier/LPH, illuminating shells being fired by NATO warships, and NATO warships contributing to the control and coordination of strike aircraft.
Surely it would have simply been more effective to have shipborne strike aircraft since it was a flat top task anyway?
FL
Not sure how one does a quote with "originally posed by..." at the top of the quote box, but here is an
article about
Ocean's role, dated 1 September (ie the same date as your comment):
t’s now more than two months since Ocean was committed to Operation Unified Protector. Although media attention has been concentrated on the Army Air Corps Apaches of 656 Squadron – which have been launched on 49 sorties as of the end of August – the Mighty O’s flight deck and hangar are also home to Fleet Air Arm Lynx and Sea King.
The former, from 847 Naval Air Squadron, conduct force protection patrols and provide logistical support, while the ‘eyes in the sky’ of 857 Naval Air Squadron have carried out 99 sorties monitoring movements in the skies and on the ground courtesy of their state-of-the-art radars.
In all, since leaving the UK in late April, the deck handlers and Flying Control on Ocean have overseen 2,000 deck landings by British and visiting helicopters (the latter principally Pumas operating from the French flagship FS Charles de Gaulle, Le Tonnerre and Mistral).