ITALY: NATO FORCES AT AVIANO AIRBASE

Описание: (27 Apr 1999) Natural Sound

More than 40 NATO planes took off from Aviano Airbase in Italy on Monday night, heading for targets in Yugoslavia.

The air campaign is gaining intensity after NATO's 50th anniversary summit in Washington, with the U-S saying it will send up to 30 more refuelling planes to support increased bombing runs in Yugoslavia.

This will bring to nearly 650 the number of U-S warplanes in the operation.

NATO's Aviano airbase was busy on Monday evening with an increased number of fighter jets heading into Serbia.

Commanders at the base allowed an agency pool cameraman to film the pilots as they prepared for the evening's campaign.

Monday night's activity followed intense bombing across the country on Sunday night, destroying targets including the last bridge across the Danube in Novi Sad.

Alliance warplanes also reportedly targeted a fuel depot in central Serbia, an airport near Kosovo's capital, Pristina, and a military airport near the Hungarian border.

Continuing strikes in Yugoslavia's far north have fuelled speculation that NATO is planning a ground campaign where troops could enter from Hungary -- the only alliance member bordering Yugoslavia.

Meanwhile, the U-S has announced it will send up to 30 more refuelling planes to support increased NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, bringing to nearly 650 the number of U.S. warplanes in the operation.

The Defence Department has said the KC-135 and KC-10 tankers are a "down payment" on 300 additional U-S aircraft sought by NATO's top military commander and expected to be approved in coming days.

Defence Secretary William Cohen is also expected to announce on Tuesday the call-up of thousands of U-S Reserve and National Guard troops to help fly and support the aircraft which will be added to the NATO force.

Pentagon officials have said privately that between 20,000 and 33,000 part-time forces personnel could be called up, most of them air crews and support staff for the new airplanes.

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