NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (AP) — U.S Defense Secretary Leon Panetta met Friday with troops at a naval station that has played a key role in Libya.
From this base on Sicily, allies have launched thousands of air missions, including flights by the Global Hawk surveillance drone.
Panetta spoke to a gathering of international troops while standing in front of one of the sophisticated aircraft.
He noted that when the Libya operation began, critics questioned whether it was the right mission, the right time and the right force. He says critics have been proved wrong by the coalition’s success.
Commanders say the Global Hawk provides critical surveillance and intelligence from its flights over Libya. The aircraft is capable of flying around-the-clock patrols at high altitudes and sending back broad pictures of what’s happening on the ground.
