The head of the Royal Air Force (RAF) has said British warplanes are likely to play a role in the campaign to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya for at least six months, in comments published Monday.

"In general terms [we] are now planning on the basis of at least six months, and we'll see where we go from there," Air Chief Marshal Stephen Dalton told The Guardian newspaper.

He added that the RAF's immediate priority was Libya and he believed the operation was "sustainable, at the moment, without jeopardising British efforts elsewhere".

Britain joined the United States and France in bombing Libya on March 19 to enforce a UN resolution aimed at protecting the civilian population from efforts by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's forces to put down an uprising.

The US military had planned to begin withdrawing its combat jets and Tomahawk missiles from the air campaign at the weekend as NATO allies were to take the lead in bombing Kadhafi's forces.

But the Pentagon announced on Sunday that the US involvement would continue through Monday at NATO's request.

Britain's involvement in Libya comes at a time when the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition is making cuts to the country's armed forces as it seeks to to slash a record deficit.

"On current planning, we can continue in Afghanistan, the Falklands and Libya with what we have got," said Dalton, 57.

"But that does bring you nearer the point that you have just about exhausted the bag. It's a heck of a lot to be doing at one time."

Britain contributes about 9,500 servicemen to the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan.

earlier related report

British PM boost Libya jet numbers at Italian base
Gioia Del Colle, Italy (AFP) April 4, 2011 –

Prime Minister David Cameron made a surprise visit Monday to the Italian base hosting British jets enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, and announced four more planes for the mission.

Flying into Gioia del Colle in southern Italy, he said Britain would be deploying four new Tornado jets "in the next couple of days" to boost the NATO-led mission to protect civilians from Moamer Kadhafi's forces.

"Which will mean we will have 10 Typhoons for the mission in terms of the no-fly zone and we'll have a total of 12 Tornado ground attack aircraft involved in operations," he told reporters travelling with him.

Cameron said his brief visit was intended to give him an opportunity to congratulate the Typhoon and Tornado pilots and their crews on "an incredible job".

In his first trip to the military base since the operation, Cameron said the British jets had saved "literally thousands of lives in Benghazi and elsewhere in Libya".

"The whole country should be proud of what they've done. They've responded incredibly quickly, they've flown many sorties, they've been extremely successful in holding back Kadhafi's forces," he told reporters.

"Just over the weekend they have destroyed 10 armoured vehicles and three tanks and they have flown a huge number of missions very rapidly and, as ever, very brilliantly."

Commenting on the operation's broader aims, Cameron added: "We are rightly saying, 'No ground troops, no occupation', so it is less easy to know how the end game will work, but the pressure you are putting on is giving every chance for some sort of Kadhafi-free future for Libya and a peaceful transition.

"At some stage, there will have to be a genuine ceasefire and then the political process can start. Until then, we have got to keep the pressure up," he urged.

Cameron was due to have a cup of tea with some of the pilots and view the planes during his brief visit, as well as receive a briefing on the operation.

The British jets have been at Gioia del Colle since the day after military action against pro-regime forces began on March 19, and have flown more than 70 combat sorties, officials said.

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