Conflict catalog

2016 U.S. Campaign Against ISIS in Libya: Weapons and Equipment

U.S. air operations and Libyan Government of National Accord operations against Islamic State forces in and around Sirte and follow-on ISIS camps.

The 2016 U.S. Campaign Against ISIS in Libya centers on U.S. air support to the Libyan Government of National Accord during the 2016 battle to expel ISIS from Sirte, followed by selective strikes against ISIS camps and desert cells that survived the loss of the city. The catalog is therefore weighted toward documented U.S. aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, and precision-strike roles rather than the full Libyan ground order of battle.

This catalog tracks systems directly documented in U.S. and Libyan Government of National Accord operations against Islamic State forces in Libya.

Entries emphasize source-backed strike, aircraft, and munition use tied to the Sirte campaign and follow-on operations against ISIS camps.

8 weapon systems

Conflict Actors

United States and Libyan Government of National Accord / Islamic State in Libya

United States and Libyan Government of National Accord

8 weapon systems in this catalog
  • United States and Libyan Government of National Accord

Context

Status
Published catalog
Location
Sirte and central Libya, with follow-on strikes in southern Libya
Countries
Libya
Regions
Sirte District, Gulf of Sidra coast, central Libya, southern Libya
Domains
land, air, UAV, maritime, missile strikes, insurgency

The documented archive is narrow because the most accessible direct sources are U.S. military releases and imagery. Aircraft and UAV entries dominate: MQ-9 Reaper crews provided persistent reconnaissance and strike support during the Sirte battle, while B-2 Spirit bombers represent the follow-on long-range strike against camps southwest of Sirte. Libyan ground weapons used by GNA-aligned forces are not added unless each system has direct, conflict-specific sourcing.

Map

Sirte and central Libya, with follow-on strikes in southern Libya

Open map

Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Timeline

Key Events

  1. ISIS takes Sirte

    ISIS established control over Sirte in May 2015, turning the central Libyan coastal city into its most important Libyan stronghold before the GNA counteroffensive.

    Sources: Creech RPA Sirte Campaign

  2. GNA offensive begins

    The UN-backed Government of National Accord launched an offensive to retake Sirte roughly a year after ISIS took the city, setting up the later request for U.S. air support.

    Sources: Creech RPA Sirte Campaign

  3. Operation Odyssey Lightning starts

    At the request of and in coordination with the GNA, AFRICOM began precision strikes against ISIS targets in Sirte, including tanks, fighting positions, military support vehicles, and heavy equipment.

    Sources: AFRICOM Operation Odyssey Lightning Begins, DVIDS First Sirte Strike Video

  4. Sirte declared liberated

    The Defense Department said the GNA campaign had liberated Sirte from ISIS; AFRICOM concluded Operation Odyssey Lightning the same day after 495 precision airstrikes in support of GNA-aligned forces.

    Sources: DOD Sirte Liberation, AFRICOM Operation Odyssey Lightning Concludes

  5. B-2 strike hits camps southwest of Sirte

    U.S. forces, in conjunction with the GNA, struck two Daesh camps about 45 kilometers southwest of Sirte; DVIDS and CENTCOM imagery documented the long-range B-2 sortie tied to the strike.

    Sources: AFRICOM Daesh Camps Strike, DVIDS B-2 Libya Image

  6. Desert camp strike southeast of Sirte

    AFRICOM reported six precision strikes against an ISIS desert camp approximately 150 miles southeast of Sirte, describing the site as a place for fighter movement, weapons storage, and attack planning.

    Sources: AFRICOM September 2017 Desert Camp Strike

  7. Southern Libya strikes target ISIS-Libya

    AFRICOM began a September 2019 sequence of strikes coordinated with the GNA against ISIS-Libya targets near Murzuq and elsewhere in southern or southwestern Libya, showing the campaign's shift from the Sirte urban fight to desert cells.

    Sources: AFRICOM September 2019 Murzuq Strike, AFRICOM 2019 Strike Archive

Phases

May 1, 2015 - Jul 31, 2016

ISIS hold on Sirte and GNA counteroffensive

ISIS control of Sirte made the city the focus of the GNA's 2016 offensive. This phase is included as background for the U.S. campaign even though the catalog conflict begins with U.S. air operations on August 1, 2016.

Aug 1, 2016 - Dec 19, 2016

Operation Odyssey Lightning

U.S. airpower supported GNA-aligned forces in dense urban fighting around Sirte, with MQ-9 crews, Marine AV-8B Harriers, AH-1W Super Cobras, and other aircraft conducting or supporting precision strikes.

Jan 18, 2017 - Sep 29, 2019

Post-Sirte camp and desert-cell strikes

After ISIS lost Sirte, U.S. and GNA-coordinated operations shifted to camps and mobile cells outside the city, including B-2 strikes southwest of Sirte and later AFRICOM strikes in southern Libya.

External Support

Outside military support was primarily U.S. airpower provided at the GNA's request and in coordination with GNA-aligned forces. Official U.S. accounts identify AFRICOM precision strikes, remotely piloted aircraft, Marine AV-8B Harriers and AH-1W Super Cobras, amphibious and maritime support, and later B-2 bomber strikes against camps outside Sirte; the sources do not document a major weapon-transfer program for this catalog.

Images

Close view of MQ-9 Reaper stores in a DVIDS image tied to the Sirte campaign
DVIDS image accompanying a 432nd Wing account of MQ-9 Reaper crews supporting GNA and coalition partners during the August-December 2016 campaign to remove ISIS from Sirte.U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christian Clausen / DVIDS | Public domainSource: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christian Clausen / DVIDS
B-2 Spirit crew members welcomed after a Libya strike sortie
Two B-2 Spirit bombers returned to Whiteman Air Force Base after a roughly 30-hour sortie supporting January 2017 strikes against Daesh camps near Sirte.U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joel Pfiester / DVIDS | Public domainSource: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joel Pfiester / DVIDS

Weapons

2016 U.S. Campaign Against ISIS in Libya Weapon Systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

5/5
B-2 Spirit, Low-observable strategic heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsB-2 SpiritLow-observable strategic heavy bomberSide: United States and Libyan Government of National AccordRole: Long-range precision strikeBuilt: Northrop Grumman / United StatesThe B-2 Spirit is a U.S. Air Force low-observable strategic heavy bomber built by Northrop Grumman for long-range conventional and nuclear strike. Its flying-wing design, intercontinental range, and heavy precision payload made it a central JDAM carrier in Kosovo and a specialized option for later defended or deeply buried targets in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, and Iran strike operations.
AH-1W Super Cobra, Marine attack helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAH-1W Super CobraMarine attack helicopterSide: United States and Libyan Government of National AccordRole: UnknownBuilt: Bell / United StatesThe Bell AH-1W Super Cobra was the U.S. Marine Corps' twin-engine attack helicopter between the mid-1980s and 2020, bridging the AH-1T SeaCobra and the AH-1Z Viper. NAVAIR identifies Bell as contractor and describes the type as an HMLA aircraft with T700 engines, a night targeting system, and a 14,750 lb maximum gross weight, while official Marine and Navy sources document AH-1W combat use from Desert Storm and Iraq to Afghanistan and Operation Odyssey Lightning in Libya.
AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter, Marine attack helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopterMarine attack helicopterSide: United States and Libyan Government of National AccordRole: UnknownBuilt: Bell / United StatesThe Bell AH-1W Super Cobra was the U.S. Marine Corps' twin-engine attack helicopter between the mid-1980s and 2020, bridging the AH-1T SeaCobra and the AH-1Z Viper. NAVAIR lists Bell as contractor and describes the type as an HMLA aircraft with T700 engines, a night targeting system, and a 14,750 lb maximum gross weight, while official Marine and Navy sources document AH-1W combat use from Desert Storm and Iraq to Afghanistan and Operation Odyssey Lightning in Libya.
MQ-9 Reaper, Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMQ-9 ReaperMedium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicleSide: United States and Libyan Government of National AccordRole: Coalition armed reconnaissance and strikeBuilt: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. / United StatesThe MQ-9 Reaper is a General Atomics medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft built for persistent intelligence collection and precision strike. Larger and more powerful than the MQ-1 Predator, it combines satellite control, electro-optical and infrared sensors, laser designation, and weapons such as Hellfire missiles and guided bombs, making it a recurring U.S. and coalition platform in counterterrorism, maritime-security, and regional-strike operations.
AV-8B Harrier II, V/STOL light attack and close-air-support aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAV-8B Harrier IIV/STOL light attack and close-air-support aircraftSide: United States and Libyan Government of National AccordRole: Ship-based strike aircraftBuilt: McDonnell Douglas; Boeing / United StatesThe AV-8B Harrier II is a second-generation Harrier built around vectored-thrust V/STOL light attack missions: expeditionary close air support, armed reconnaissance, interdiction, shipboard strike, and dispersed forward-base operations. Developed by McDonnell Douglas with British Aerospace participation, it added a larger composite wing, improved Pegasus-powered performance, and later Night Attack and Harrier II Plus radar configurations. The U.S. Marine Corps formally sundowned the type at Cherry Point on June 3, 2026, while Italian and Spanish naval Harriers remained a separate service caveat.

Category

Artillery

Tube artillery, rocket artillery, and long-range ground fires.

1/1
Mark 45 5-inch naval gun, Naval gun, ArtilleryArtilleryMark 45 5-inch naval gunNaval gunSide: United States and Libyan Government of National AccordRole: Naval gunfire supportBuilt: BAE Systems / United StatesThe Mark 45 5-inch naval gun is a U.S.-origin, fully automatic 127 mm shipboard gun mount used on destroyers and cruisers against surface, air, and naval surface fire-support targets. Sourced combat use includes USS Carney firing Mk 45 illumination rounds during the 2016 Sirte campaign, Red Sea counter-UAV gunfire by U.S. destroyers, and 2026 blockade enforcement.

Category

Munitions

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

2/2
GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound dual-mode guided bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition500-pound dual-mode guided bombSide: United States and Libyan Government of National AccordRole: AV-8B precision strike bomb during Operation Odyssey LightningBuilt: Boeing / United StatesThe GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition is Boeing's 500-pound JDAM variant with a DSU-38 laser seeker, combining GPS/INS navigation with terminal laser guidance for moving or relocatable targets. U.S. military and specialist reporting document combat use by F-16s in Iraq and Afghanistan, AV-8B Harriers during Operation Odyssey Lightning in Libya, and Israeli F-16s over Gaza.
AGM-114 Hellfire missile family, Air-to-surface missile family, MunitionsMunitionsAGM-114 Hellfire missile familyAir-to-surface missile familySide: United States and Libyan Government of National AccordRole: AH-1W close-air-support precision strikeBuilt: Lockheed Martin / United StatesThe AGM-114 Hellfire is a U.S. precision missile family developed for helicopter anti-armor missions and later adapted across UAVs, gunships, ships, and special-purpose strike roles. Cataloged combat use spans Desert Storm Apache strikes, Operation Iraqi Freedom aviation engagements, counter-ISIS and counterterrorism drone operations, Israeli helicopter fire in 2023, Ukrainian counter-drone Tempest vehicles assessed with AGM-114L Longbow missiles, and the secretive AGM-114R9X kinetic variant reported in low-collateral targeted strikes.

Conflict Sources

Official U.S. releases are strong for airstrike dates, platforms, broad target categories, and GNA coordination, but they do not provide a complete Libyan ground-force order of battle. Month-level dates in the early background phase are used only where sources describe events by month rather than exact day.

  • Creech RPA Sirte CampaignPublisher: Creech Air Force Base | Note: Supports ISIS control of Sirte, the GNA offensive, Operation Odyssey Lightning context, MQ-9 roles, and the December 2016 liberation framing. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AFRICOM Operation Odyssey Lightning BeginsPublisher: U.S. Africa Command | Note: Official AFRICOM release documenting the Aug. 1-3, 2016 precision strikes in Sirte and the GNA coordination basis for Operation Odyssey Lightning. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • DVIDS First Sirte Strike VideoPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Official video page for the first Aug. 1, 2016 strike against an ISIL tank in Sirte. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • DOD Sirte LiberationPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Defense Department article supporting the Sirte liberation milestone and Operation Odyssey Lightning aviation context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AFRICOM Operation Odyssey Lightning ConcludesPublisher: U.S. Africa Command | Note: Official closeout release documenting the Dec. 19, 2016 conclusion and 495 precision airstrikes. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AFRICOM Daesh Camps StrikePublisher: U.S. Africa Command | Note: Official AFRICOM release documenting the Jan. 18, 2017 strikes on two Daesh camps southwest of Sirte. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AFRICOM September 2017 Desert Camp StrikePublisher: U.S. Africa Command | Note: Official AFRICOM release documenting the Sept. 22, 2017 strikes on an ISIS desert camp southeast of Sirte. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AFRICOM September 2019 Murzuq StrikePublisher: U.S. Africa Command | Note: Official AFRICOM release documenting the Sept. 19, 2019 ISIS-Libya strike near Murzuq. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AFRICOM 2019 Strike ArchivePublisher: U.S. Africa Command | Note: AFRICOM strike archive listing the September 2019 sequence of ISIS-Libya strikes. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • CTC ISIS Libya Post-SirtePublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Research context for ISIS-Libya's post-Sirte shift toward desert cells, attrition tactics, and sourcing limits around clandestine activity. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • GeoNames SirtePublisher: GeoNames | Note: Supports the Sirte coordinate used for the conflict map center. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • DVIDS MQ-9 Sirte ImagePublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Public-domain image source and provenance for the MQ-9 Sirte campaign image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • DVIDS B-2 Libya ImagePublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Public-domain image source and provenance for B-2 imagery tied to the Jan. 18, 2017 Libya strike sortie. | Accessed: 2026-06-20