Not to argue, but I do seem to recall hearing that Typhoons had to be accompanied by Tornado in Libya. I didn't and don't know why, but if you'd asked me at the time, I'd probably have mumbled something about perhaps the Typhoons not having a working laser designation system.
In April 2011, the Telegraph said "In a further embarrassment, laser targeting pods for the Typhoons, which cost £160 million, have been left in packing crates because the RAF has not been able to pay for its pilots to train to use them."
Reuters said "Some military analysts view the deployment of the Typhoon and the French Rafale in Libya as a move to give the two aircraft battlefield credentials in an effort to win orders."
The RAF response was "The advantage of flying mixed pair is that there are three different types of weapons available for use as well as the fact that Typhoon can use the benefits of the Tornado, whose pilots have huge experience of air-to-ground missions."
The BBC has more recently summarised the situation: "Tornados were used more than Typhoons during Nato air strikes in Libya in 2011 because the former were equipped with Brimstone and the latest 500lb Paveway IV laser and GPS-guided bomb. Typhoons have only been able to use Paveway IV since 2014, and in Libya they had to use the older and larger 1,000lb or 2,000lb Paveway II."
P