Operation Allied Force

Operation Allied Force was NATO's military operation against Yugoslavia in the spring of 1999. It was only the second major combat operation in NATO's history, following the September 1995 Operation Deliberate Force in Bosnia.

Outcome

The war began on 24 March and lasted until 10 June. Following credible threats of a NATO ground invasion and a strong diplomatic initiative from Russia, the Yugoslav government agreed to withdraw its forces from Kosovo and the bombing was suspended on 11 June. On 12 June the British 1st Royal Gurkha Rifles and The Parachute Regiment and French forces spearheaded the NATO forces entering Kosovo as part of Operation Joint Guardian.

Related Topics:
24 March - 10 June - 11 June - 12 June - 1st Royal Gurkha Rifles - The Parachute Regiment - Operation Joint Guardian

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Operation Allied Force inflicted less damage on the Yugoslav military than originally thought, due to the use of ingenious camouflage and misdirection techniques to disguise military targets. While NATO believed it had destroyed about 200 Serbian tanks during the conflict, only 12 were subsequently confirmed destroyed. It was only in the later stages of the campaign that strategic targets such as bridges and buildings were attacked in any systematic way, causing significant disruption and economic damage. This stage of the campaign led to a number of controversial incidents, such as the targeting of the People's Republic of China embassy in Belgrade, an attack on Serbia's principal TV station and the bombing of chemical factories which resulted in major pollution incidents.

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Yugoslav President Slobodan Milo?evi? survived the conflict and declared its outcome a major victory for Yugoslavia and Serbia. He was, however, indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia along with a number of other senior Serbian and Yugoslav political and military figures. This led to him – and Yugoslavia as a whole – being treated as a pariah by much of the international community, as he was subject to arrest if he left Yugoslavia. The country's economy was badly affected by the conflict and a year later, popular disillusionment with the Milo?evi? regime led to his overthrow.

Related Topics:
Slobodan Milo?evi? - War crimes - International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

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The campaign failed in its proclaimed objective, in that thousands were killed during the conflict and hundreds of thousands more fled from the province to other parts of the country and to the surrounding countries. Most of the Albanian refugees returned home within a few weeks or months. However, most of the non-Albanian population again fled to other parts of Serbia or to protected enclaves within Kosovo. Albanian guerilla activity spread into other parts of Serbia and to neighbouring Macedonia, but subsided in 2001. The non-Albanian population has since diminished further following fresh outbreaks of intercommunal conflict and harassment, and veterans of the officially disbanded KLA are threatening with renewed violence if their demand for secession is not fulfilled

Related Topics:
Macedonia - KLA

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A NATO-led peacekeeping force, KFOR, continues to maintain a precarious peace in Kosovo. Although another large-scale conflict between Serbian and Albanian Kosovans looks unlikely in the near future, the region continues to suffer the effects of poverty, widespread organized crime and ethnic tensions.

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In December 2002 HM Queen Elizabeth II approved the awarding of the Battle Honour "Kosovo" to squadrons of the RAF that participated in the conflict. These were: Nos 1, 7, 8, 9, 14, 23, 31, 51, 101, and 216 squadrons. Squadrons that are boldened are authorised to have the battle honour emblazoned on their Colours.

Related Topics:
2002 - HM Queen Elizabeth II - Battle Honour - 1 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 14 - 23 - 31 - 51 - 101 - 216 - Colours

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