Here's a look at some of the international military assets in or heading to the region to help enforce the U.N.-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya:
France:
- Deployed eight Rafale and four Mirage jets to survey rebel-held Benghazi; one fired on a Libyan military vehicle in first military strike of operation.
- Six C-135 refueling tankers
- 1 AWACS surveillance plane
- Deploying the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the region Sunday from Toulon.
- Also envisages using anti-air frigates Jean-Bart and Forbin, anti-submarine frigate Dupleix, the Aconit frigate and a refueling ship La Meuse.
Canada:
- Sent six F-18s to Italy base; 140 military personnel involved.
- Frigate HMCS Charlottetown is in Mediterranean for possible staging ground for Canadian forces.
United States:
- Has launched missile attacks on Libyan air defenses but so far not participating in initial air missions.
- Has two guided-missile destroyers in the Mediterranean, the USS Barry and USS Stout, two amphibious warships, the USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce, and a command-and-control ship, the USS Mount Whitney. The submarine USS Providence was also in the Mediterranean.
- Witnesses reported five F-18s, two C-17s and a C-130 cargo plane arrived at U.S. air base at Aviano in northern Italy, which is home to the 31st Fighter Wing.
Denmark:
- Six F-16s arrived at U.S. air base in Sigonella, Sicily and could be deployed as early as Sunday; 132 support staff.
Italy:
- Offered use of seven military bases: U.S. air bases at Sigonella, Sicily and Aviano in northern Italy; Italian air bases in Amendola near Foggia, Decimomannu in Sardinia, Gioia del Colle near Bari, base on Sicilian island of Pantelleria, and the military airport of Trapani, Sicily.
- Proposed NATO base in Naples serve as coordination point for operation.
- Says it has four anti-radar and anti-missile Tornados and six other aircraft available to fly with 15 minutes notice.
- Aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi off Sicily with eight aircraft aboard.
Spain:
- Sent four F-18s and a Boeing 707 refueling plane to Italy base.
- Deploying a submarine, naval frigate and a surveillance plane.
- Placed two bases at NATO's disposal, Rota and Moron de la Frontera, where several U.S. Air Force planes were seen Friday.
Britain:
- Said it would send Typhoon and Tornado jets to air bases, but no British fighter assets have yet been deployed, the Ministry of Defense said.
- Britain's air base in southern Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, supporting AWACS surveillance aircraft and has a team of personnel there to coordinate British aircraft movement.
- Two British frigates, HMS Westminster and HMS Cumberland, are in the Mediterranean off Libya's coast.
Norway:
- Offered six F-16s, with around 100 support staff, but operational capabilities five-six days off.
- Considering contributing an Orion maritime surveillance plane.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.