"BBC news just reported the MOD reporting two Tornados have taken off from Cyprus on a mission..... Call me old fashioned but WTF are the MOD announcing missions while they are taking place and are in theatre".
Back in the days of GW1, the NATO AWACS was patrolling the border of Turkey. Not being party to operations, they did not have an ATO, but never mind, as the BBC World Service would announce what was getting airborne and the tracks could be identified from there. However, this is not as bad as operations over Kosovo where Italian ATC would not allow allied aircraft to get airborne from the Italian bases without an ATC slot. Needless to say, all of the slots were then sent up the chain to Belgrade ATC iaw common peacetime procedure.