If asked to pinpoint the beginning of the war against Islamic extremism, most would probably say September 11, 2001. However, there has been tension between Islamic autocracies and Western governments going back centuries. In the early 1980s, the boogieman du jour was Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, who sponsored numerous acts of terrorism throughout Europe. After a series of attacks resulted in American deaths, U.S. President Ronald Reagan elected to strike back.Operation Eldorado Canyon is usually remembered as a long-range mission by British-based F-111s. However, it was an amazingly complex mission that involved two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and a unique air refuelling plan that involved more than half of the then new KC-10 tanker inventory. For the first time, the events leading up to this operation are described, including previously unrevealed contingency operations, missions testing the ability of the F-111s to fly such an extended mission, and the mission itself from the crews
