1994 Goražde air strikes
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Goražde air strikes
| partof = NATO intervention in Bosnia and Operation Deny Flight
| caption = A USAF F-16c during Operation Deny Flight
| date = 10 – 16 April 1994
| place = around Goražde
| result = NATO operational failure
| casus = United Nations Security Council Resolution 816
| commander1 = {{flagicon|United States|1960}} Jeremy M. Boorda
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Republika Srpska}} Ratko Mladić
| combatant1 = {{flag|NATO|size=23px}}
{{flag|United Nations|size=23px}}
| combatant2 = {{flag|Republika Srpska}}
| strength1 =
| strength2 =
| casualties1 = 1 British BAE Sea Harrier shot down
1 French Super Etendard damaged
1 SAS member killed
1 SAS member wounded
150 UNPROFOR POWs
| casualties2 = 1 command outpost damaged
| image = File:A US Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon of the 510th Fighter Squadron, armed with two AIM-7M Sparrow Missiles, flies over the airfield. The aircraft is completing a sortie in support o - DPLA - 525c8536d80f8231ffdc3e05143f58e3.jpeg
| image_size = 320
| alt =
}}
{{Campaignbox Bosnian War}}
The Goražde air strikes was a series of NATO actions under the umbrella of operation Deny Fly to stop the Serbian offensive on Goražde, Bosnia. As a result, a Serbian command post was hit by American aircraft, while on the NATO side a British fighter was shot down and a French strike aircraft sustained damaged. On the ground, one Special Air Service British soldier was killed and another wounded, while 150 UNPROFOR soldiers were taken hostage. In the end, NATO stopped air operations over Goražde and the Serbs agreed to halt their offensive in the area.
Background
On 12 March, the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) made its first request for NATO air support, but close air support was not deployed, owing to a number of delays associated with the approval process. On 6 April VRS started Operation Star 94 pushing the ARBiH and approaching Goražde. On 10 and 11 April 1994, UNPROFOR called in air strikes to protect the Goražde safe area, resulting in the bombing of a Bosnian Serb military command outpost near Goražde by two US F-16 jets.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z8CGuDTORZUC&q=balkan+battlegrounds:+a+military+history+of+the+yugoslav+conflict |title=Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990–1995 |date=2002 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis |isbn=978-0-16-066472-4 |page=460 |language=en}}
Campaign
Two US F-16 jets bombed a Serb military command outpost near Goražde on 10 April. This was the first time in NATO's history it had ever attacked ground targets with aircraft. The VRS stopped the offensive momentarly. In reaction to the NATO attack, VRS took 150 UN personnel hostage on 14 April. Despite the now more difficult situation due to NATO pressure, the VRS continues to break through Bosniak lines and reach the first houses in the town of Goražde, where the city battles begin. Serbian fighters arrive only 300 meters from the hospital in Goražde. The VRS gets a special boost in morale after hitting two NATO planes. First, on April 15, a French Super Etendard on a photo reconnaissance mission was hit and damaged,{{Cite web |title=Dassault-Aviation Étendard IVM/ P/ PM [in english] |url=http://www.ffaa.net/aircraft/etendard/etendard%20UPG.htm |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=www.ffaa.net}} and the next day a British Sea Harrier was shot down. Both aircraft were hit by MANPADS 9K38 Igla missiles.{{Cite news |date=2024-01-05 |title=NATO Plane Shot Down in Battle for Gorazde |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1994/04/17/nato-plane-shot-down-in-battle-for-gorazde/ce362807-6cb8-462d-9f14-e03881027be4/ |access-date=2024-09-17 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} Also on April 15, two British SAS soldiers on the ground, operating as air controllers on the frontline, came under Serb heavy fire. One of them was killed and the other wounded.{{Cite news |last=Barber |first=Tony |last2=Bellamy |first2=Christopher |date=15 April 1994 |title=Serbs storm into Gorazde: Bosnian Muslim pocket crumbles before ferocious assault - SAS soldier killed - Washington at a loss |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/serbs-storm-into-gorazde-bosnian-muslim-pocket-crumbles-before-ferocious-assault-sas-soldier-killed-washington-at-a-loss-1370247.html |work=The Independent |pages=8}}
Aftermath
In the negotiations with UNPROFOR on 18 April, it was agreed that Goražde would be a demilitarized zone, ending the VRS offensive. And on 18 April VRS would end the Operation Star 94.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Sources
- {{cite book|last=Ripley|first=Tim|title=Conflict in the Balkans, 1991–2000|publisher=Osprey Publishing|year=2001|isbn=1-84176-290-3|location=London}}
Category:Military operations of the Bosnian War
Category:NATO intervention in the former Yugoslavia
Category:Aerial bombing operations and battles