究竟發射了多少枚巡航導彈？

今次三國聯軍因化武而攻擊敘利亞政府的三個據點行動，似乎亂成一團。他們連最起碼的發射了多少枚巡航導彈也搞不清楚。

美國國防部五角大樓首席發言人達納懷特和聯合參謀長肯尼思F.麥肯齊中將在4月14日的新聞發布會是首個交代細節的記者會。

肯尼思F.麥肯齊中將表示：

“針對第一個目標，位於大馬士革地區的巴澤研究與發展中心，我們發射了76枚導彈；其中57枚是戰斧巡弋飛彈，19枚是聯合空對地距外飛彈，或JASSM。

針對第二個目標，位於敘利亞西部霍姆斯的Him Shinshar化學武器儲存設施使用了22件武器，9枚美國TLAM，8枚暴風影導彈，3枚海軍型巡航導彈和2枚SCALP陸上攻擊巡航導彈。

針對第三個目標Shinshar化學武器儲存設施，我們部署了7枚SCALP導彈。初步評估是這個掩體設施被成功擊中。

在東地中海，法國護衛艦朗格多克發射了三枚導彈的海軍型巡航導彈。總而言之，我們在聯合團隊發射了105個武器。”(註一)

英國國會在2天後就國會緊急答辯，從下午4時19分開始，歷時3小時，當中有工黨主席郝爾彬、蘇格蘭民族黨主席施雅晴和140個後排議員發言。這個辯論十分重要，因為它是三國政府裡的首次詳細國會辯論。

首相文翠珊在開場白中交代了這次聯合行動的細節，她表示(16.28  London Time)：

“巴澤研究與發展中心被57枚戰斧巡弋飛彈和19枚是聯合空對地距外飛彈中； Him Shinshar化學武器儲存設施被美國的9枚TLAM，5枚海軍型巡航導彈和2枚SCALP陸上攻擊巡航導彈和以由四架英國皇家空軍發射的八枚暴風影導彈擊中；Shinshar化學武器儲存設施被7枚法國SCALP巡航導彈成功擊中。”(註二)

唔對數

出了問題的是美國表示聯軍共發射了105枚導彈，而文翠珊的則加起來是107枚。當中的差額是法國護衛艦朗格多克發射了多少枚海軍型巡航導彈？3枚還是5枚？

不過，算啦！大家都知道法國人的辦事態度。

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備註

註一

News Transcript

Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White and Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. in the Pentagon Briefing Room

Press Operations

Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White; Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr.

April 14, 2018

Against the first target, the Barzeh Research and Development Center, which is located in the greater Damascus area, we employed 76 missiles; 57 of these were Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, and 19 were joint air-to-surface standoff missiles, or JASSMs.

Against the second target, the Him Shinshar chemical weapons storage facility, which is located in Syria, just west of Homs, 22 weapons were employed, nine U.S. TLAMs, eight Storm Shadow missiles, three naval cruise missiles, and two SCALP land attack cruise missiles.

Against the third target -- next slide -- the Him Shinshar chemical weapons bunker facility, we deployed seven SCALP missiles. Again, the initial assessment is that this bunker facility was successfully hit.

In the Eastern Mediterranean the French Frigate Languedoc fired three missiles of their naval version of the SCAT missile

In summary, in a powerful show of allied unity, we deployed 105 weapons against three targets. That will significantly impact the Syrian regime's ability to develop, deploy and use chemical weapons in the future.

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Mrs Theresa May answer The Parliement

16 April 2018Volume 639

4.19 pm

The Prime Minister (Mrs Theresa May) ：

As a result, the co-ordinated actions of the US, UK and France were successfully and specifically targeted at three sites. Contrary to what the Leader of the Opposition said at the weekend, these were not “empty buildings”. The first was the Barzeh branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre in northern Damascus. This was a centre for the research and development of Syria’s chemical and biological programme. It was hit by 57 American TLAMs and 19 American JASSMs. The second site was the Him Shinsar chemical weapons bunkers, 15 miles west of the city of Homs, which contained both a chemical weapons equipment and storage facility and an important command post. These were successfully hit by seven French SCALP cruise missiles.

The third site was the Him Shinsar chemical weapons storage site and former missile base, which is now a military facility. This was assessed to be a location of Syrian sarin and precursor production equipment, whose destruction would degrade Syria’s ability to deliver sarin in the future. This was hit by nine US TLAMs, five naval and two SCALP cruise missiles from France and eight Storm Shadow missiles launched by our four RAF Tornado GR4s. Very careful scientific analysis was used to determine where best to target these missiles to maximise the destruction of stockpiled chemicals and to minimise any risks to the surrounding area. The facility that we targeted is located some distance from any known population centres, reducing yet further any such risk of civilian casualties.