Long Range Patrol Air Expeditionary Units deployed in 2011 to Operation Unified Protector, Canada designation OP MOBILE, a NATO-led effort to impose on Libya the arms embargo and no-fly zone authorized in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 of 17 March 2011, which called on the international community to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas in Libya. The first Detachment Commander, Major Derrick Hotte, and personnel of 405, 407 and 14 Air Maintenance Squadrons, and 14 and 19 Wing operations, administration, logistics and engineering branches comprised the CP-140 Long Range Patrol Air Expeditionary Unit (LRP-AEU).  They deployed on little notice, declared operational readiness, and began flying within days of arrival in theatre, completing 99 percent of their missions, flying over 180 sorties, and accumulating over 1400 hours.  The first week’s operations were traditional Maritime Patrol (MP) but very quickly evolved into non-traditional and critical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions in the near-land and overland environment, and targeting support to both Naval Gunfire (NGS) and strike aircraft, while continuing to provide essential operational and tactical level surveillance and reconnaissance.

The overwhelming success of the operation was due directly to the incredible professionalism, adaptability and dedication of each and every member of that initial rotation ‘0’ deployment, and the equal efforts of all the personnel that contributed to subsequent deployments over the 7-months operation.