European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 16, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 3 a photo a . Air Force full with ground Crew in attendance sits on the Tarmac at Raf Lakenheath England. The plane had just returned from the . Bombing Mission against Libya. Unusual action seen at . Bases in Britain by j. King Cruger . Bureau Raf Mildenhall England Moa mar Kha Day May not have known that full bombers from Raf Lakenheath were headed his Way monday night but villagers used to the rhythms of . Air move ments from Rural bases correctly guessed the strike had been launched. Around 7 . Monday villagers reported an unusual number off a 1 is in surrounding skies. While exercises involving Large numbers of sorties from Raf Lakenheath some five Miles from Milden Hall Are not unusual the number of such aircraft involved monday night was. A Farmer who lives close to the runway at Mildenhall where Many of the refuelling tankers operated from reported that Tanker aircraft began running up their engines at Mildenhall around 5 30 . Monday. A dozen or so of them nearly All kg-10s, lined up very quickly and began taking off in rapid order Start ing around 6 30 monday night he said. By 7 45 or so they were All gone. Of the 15 kg-10 tankers that were Here earlier in the evening Only two were left on the ground at that time and they May have taken off later. The tankers appeared to be quite heavily Laden since they were using up most of the runway while ordinarily they seem to use Only about half of it. Al 11s from Lakenheath were taking off at the same time. Later in the night i heard a bbl radio broadcast quoting an air Force spokesman who said that the activity was part of a planned  when questioned by reporters about the aircraft activity at the two bases a 3rd air Force spokesman attributed aircraft movements to a Long planned on going Salty nation exercise at Raf Lakenheath. The Salty nation exercise according to an air Force source is a War readiness exercise and was planned at least a year in Advance. One of the purposes of such exercises is to test a base s ability to move quickly from a peacetime to a wartime footing he said. Although the Salty nation exercise provided a convenient cover for the launch of the air strike on monday it apparently was not set up As a cover for the launches. The exercise began on sunday and is expected to last three to four Days. Late tuesday afternoon the Public affairs office at 3rd air Force Headquarters began issuing sketchy in formation on How the attack was mounted. A spokesman said 18 Al 11s of the 48th tac fighter Wing launched out of Raf Lakenheath sometime late in the afternoon or Early monday  when questioned As to whether 7 . Was a reliable time for the launches to have taken place a spokesman said putting the launch times As taking place 30 min utes either Side of that time would not be wrong. He said the planes were refuelled several times in the air on their Way to and from their targets by both pc 135 and kg-10 tankers operating out of Raf Milden Hall and Raf Fairford. A photos airmen wave from the Back of a truck left while an armed guard right stands watch at Raf Lakenheath England. He could not provide any information As to the num Ber of Refu Elings or where they took place. The full is a fighter bomber capable of flying at Mach 2.5 and at altitudes ranging from tree top to More than 60,000 feet. It has an unfurled maximum Range of More than 2,500 nautical Miles which can be extended to More than 3,100 nautical Miles when fitted with external fuel tanks. It is not believed the 18 planes from Raf Lakenheath flew with such tanks. The aircraft taking part in the strike were outfitted with pave tack laser guided bombs. The aircraft delivered a number of 500-Pound and 2,000-Pound bombs on libyan targets defense Secre tary Caspar Weinberger said in Washington. A source said the Al 11s from the 48th tac fighter Wing were accompanied on the strike by four ef-111a Raven aircraft of the 20th tac fighter Wing operating out of Raf upper Heyford in Oxfordshire. In Washington a defense department spokesman said three Ravens had been used in the strike. Ravens Are modified Al 11a aircraft designed to foil enemy radar. They carry no weapons and can Fly be Hind with or ahead of the aircraft they Are accompany ing. The Al 11s from upper. Heyford returned safely to their Home base. By 8 55 . Tuesday 16 of the f ills from Raf Lakenheath had returned. The 17th aircraft according to a 3rd air Force spokesman was forced to make an emergency Landing at the . Naval air station at Rota Spain. He said he thought the fighter had engine trouble on the Way to Libya. The Fate of the 18th aircraft was not known tuesday night. The . Navy was searching for the plane and its two Man Crew. Staff writers Dave Diehl in the . Bureau and Chuck Vinch in the Washington Bureau contributed to this Story