Britain to deploy helicopters in Libya: France

BRUSSELS: Britain will deploy attack helicopters to take part in NATO air strikes in Libya, French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said Monday after Paris announced it was sending its own helicopters.

"The British, who have assets similar to ours, will also commit" helicopters to the mission, Longuet said on the sidelines of talks with European Union defence ministers in Brussels.

"The sooner the better is what the British think," he said, adding that he discussed this with Gerald Howarth, the British minister for international security strategy who attended the Brussels talks.

Longuet indicated that the British would use its helicopter carrier the HMS Ocean.

NATO has some 200 aircraft at its disposal for its operations in Libya, but it has not used any helicopters to conduct its core mission of hitting Moamer Kadhafi forces threatening civilians.

In London, a Ministry of Defence spokesman had no immediate comment.(AFP)