Radar operators in several countries detected the F-111's and their support aircraft on their long flight to Libya. While France, Spain, and Portugal kept quiet, Italy did not.

Depending on the rumor, about thirty minutes before the strike either the Italian government directly warned Tripoli about the formation of U.S. aircraft; or Italy alerted Malta, a country sympathetic to Qaddafi and the Maltese warned Tripoli. Either way, this warning caused Qaddafi and his immediate family to evacuate to his private bunker just before the strikes started but had little apparent impact on the readiness of the Libyan air defenses.

The city lights in both Tripoli and Benghazi were on as the strike force approached and the runway lights at Benina Airfield were still alive.

The element of surprise did not last long. The Libyan air defenses responded shortly after the first bombs exploded.