There has been speculation that Moscow might at some stage want to deploy ground attack aircraft of its own.

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The two specialists have at hand a range of electronic equipment to protect the aircraft and attack ground targets.

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In the final days - as we shall learn - Nato used drones, bombers, helicopters, electronic interference and special forces on the ground "painting" targets for the attack aircraft as the rebels closed in on the capital, Tripoli.

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They will not have the ground attack function which was a key role for coalition aircraft in the Iraq war: this will come with the second tranche.

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That means that each aircraft needs about 30 ground crew, who in turn have to be protected from attack.

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