Norfolk base at the heart of the Libyan campaign

Footage has been released by the Ministry of Defence showing aircrews from RAF Marham preparing to take part in the long-range bombing of Libya last week.

One video shows Tornado GR4 jets being fully armed with Storm Shadow missiles at the Norfolk base before heading to Libya on an eight-hour mission to target Col Gaddafi's forces as part of the coalition Operation Ellamy.

The weapons use a sophisticated GPS tracking system and terrain matching technology to locate their targets.

A second video shows Tornado bombing a Libyan frigate in Tripoli harbour last Tuesday morning. The ship had been damaged previously by NATO air strikes, but damage assessment showed it retained an offensive capability so a further attack took place. The RAF strike inflicted further serious damage and left the vessel taking on water.

'This mission has, once again, proved the GR4's capability at long range. The engineers and crews comprised of personnel from Marham and Lossiemouth. I feel great pride in having the opportunity to command such an adaptable and capable Tornado force that proves its agility time and time again,' said Station Commander Gp Capt Pete 'Rocky' Rochelle.

The Tornado squadrons have played a leading role in the military operations in Libya since March. The GR4's high-tech Litening 3 targeting pids and precise munitions, inlcuding the Storm Shadow, have been at the forefront ot he coalition operation.

Today the Libyan interior minister has arrived in Cairo with family members, raising speculation he has defected.

Egyptian officials said Nassr al-Mabrouk Abdullah landed at Cairo international airport with nine members of his family on a special plane from Tunisia and said that he was 'on a tourist visit'.

The secrecy surrounding the arrival and the fact that no official from the Libyan embassy, which is loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, was at the airport to greet Mr Abdullah, raised suspicions of a possible defection.