The British Component of the 2011 Military Intervention in Libya

Abstract

The military intervention in Libya in 2011 showed certain new tendencies in the global politics in the re-colonial world. Although the Great Britain was one of the nations which participated in the intervention, its expenses on the operation were extremely high due to the overexpenditure of expensive precision-guided munition (PGM) and the support of high-tech equipment. Several forms and methods of hybrid and network-centric warfare were tested in the course of the intervention. The main role in the British military operation belonged to the Royal Air Force and Special Forces with minute participation of the Royal Navy. The majority of the ground forces was formed by the rebellious irregular forces which had been trained by the special forces of NATO and certain Arabic states. Those bands were headed by the commanders of the special forces in key moments. Propagation of distorted and false information by the British political circles and mass-media formed the background for the preparation of the military operation as well as for the warfare itself. The article critically analyzes the specific features and the major tendencies of the British component in the 2011 military intervention in Libya concerning its aims, methods and consequences, the historical and political context being taken into account. A number of existing views on the British participation in the conflict is reappraised, and some new judgements are suggested. The Libyan events are also put in connection with the official conception of a Global Britain which emerged a few years later.