[6] French Dassault Rafale multirole fighters began reconnaissance missions on 19 March and were the first among the coalition to attack Libyan forces, destroying four tanks.

[19] Task Force 473, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its battle group, sailed from Toulon.

[20] The French Ministry of Defence (MoD) claimed a Mirage 2000-D destroyed another Libyan tank 100 km south of Benghazi.

[21] Aircraft from Charles de Gaulle began operations over Libya, commencing with Rafale F3s conducting reconnaissance and patrols.

[23] Rafale and Mirage 2000D aircraft attacked a Libyan air base, 250 kilometres (160 miles) inland from the Mediterranean Sea, with SCALP EG missiles.

[24] Rafale, Mirage 2000D and Super Etendard aircraft flew four joint interdiction missions against Libyan ground forces.

[25] A Rafale destroyed a Libyan Soko G-2 Galeb light attack jet with an AASM air-to-surface missile as it landed at Misrata.

[27] French aircraft carried out several air strikes around Zintan and Misrata, destroying at least five Soko G-2 Galeb light attack jets and two Mi-35 helicopters on the ground.