Lebanese Ground Forces Equipment
| Organization | |||
| Ministry of National Defense | |||
| Lebanese Air Force | |||
| Lebanese Navy | |||
| Lebanese Special Forces | |||
| Lebanese Red Cross | |||
| Personnel | |||
| LAF Commanders | |||
| Lebanese Military Personnel | |||
| Topics of Lebanon | |||
| Culture - Geography | |||
| History - Politics | |||
The Ground Forces of the Lebanese Armed Forces still contains significant amounts of old weaponry, but it has embarked on some major improvements recently. The M113, which is commonly found with every regiment and brigade, is considered to be the major element of the ground forces. A collection of Western and Soviet made arms and equipment exists ranging from rifles to tanks. However, the Lebanese army is still trying to rearm and modernize itself through new aids and purchases from different countries such as the USA, Belgium, Russia, and The Netherlands.
Rearming & Modernization
The LAF has been attempting to modernize and equip itself since 2005. Due to the budget limits, and instead of spawning an indigenous arms industry the LAF is relying on donation and friendly priced equipment.
In November, 2010, Russia agreed to supply Lebanon with 31 T-72 tanks and 36 130mm howitzers, about half a million munitions for various weapons and thirty thousand artillery shells for the 130mm cannons.[1] Lebanon still waits Germany's approval on the sale of ex-Belgian Leopard 1/A5 tanks, part of a larger deal which included AIFV-B-C25 and M113-B-Amb, which were already delivered.[2][3]
The USA has been supplying the LAF with light to medium arms since 2005, in the form of a package of more than 400 million USD-worth of equipment that is still being executed. Among these supplies are HMMWV, M-35/A3, Mk 19 grenade launcher, M141 Bunker Defeat Munition, AT4, and Barrett M107 .50 Cal. sniper. The US has promised to supply Lebanon with M-60 tanks, 10 of which arrived in May 2009 with the rest arriving consecutively. In addition, the US supplied Lebanon with 12 RQ-11 Raven small hand-launched UAVs and M198 Howitzers,[4] and promised to deliver all water patrol boats and more utility helicopters.
Equipment
Infantry weapons
| Small arm | Type | Versions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browning Hi-Power[5] | Semi-automatic pistol | ||
| Browning BDA | Semi-automatic pistol | ||
| FAMAS[5] | Assault rifle | ||
| SIG SG 540[5] | Assault rifle | ||
| Heckler & Koch HK33 | Assault rifle | ||
| M16 rifle[6][7] | Assault rifle | A1, A2, and A4 | |
| M4 carbine[8][9] | Assault carbine | SOPMOD | Lebanese Special force |
| Heckler & Koch G36[10] | Assault rifle | G36C3 | Lebanese Armed Force, Internal Security Force |
| AKM | Assault rifle | AKMS | |
| AK-47 | Assault rifle | ||
| Heckler & Koch G3 | Battle rifle | ||
| FN FAL | Battle rifle | ||
| Heckler & Koch MP5 | Submachine gun | ||
| MAT-49 | Submachine gun | ||
| FN P90[11] | Personal defense weapon | Used by the Internal Security Forces |
Main battle tanks
Armoured fighting vehicles
| Tanks | Type | Versions | In service | Notes
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M60A3 | Main battle tank (MBT) | A3 | 66 | 10 arrived on 22 May 2009. |
| M48A5 | Medium tank | A1, A5 | 104 | |
| T-54/T-55/Tiran-55 | Main battle tank | T-54, T-55, Tiran-55 | 204 | |
| APC/AFC | Type | Versions | In service | Notes |
| M113A2 | APC | A2 | 200 | [12] |
| VAB | APC | 80 | ||
| Panhard AML-90 | Light Armored Car | 45 | ||
| AIFV-B-C25 | Armored Personnel Carrier | 16 | ||
| Up-armored Humvee | APC | 86 |
Towed Artillery
| Artillery | Type | Versions | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M198 howitzer | Towed howitzer | 155 mm | ||
| M114A1 howitzer | howitzer | 155 mm | ||
| 2A36 gun | Close support gun | 152 mm | ||
| M-46 gun | Field gun | M-46 | 25 | |
| D-30 howitzer | Howitzer | D-30 | ||
| M-1938 (M-30) howitzer | Field Howitzer | M-30 | 33 | |
| M101A1 howitzer | Howitzer | |||
| M102 howitzer | Howitzer |
| Vehicles |
|
4000+ |
|---|---|---|
| Logistics and Engineering Equipment |
|
+ |
| Military simulation | Janus,[16][17][18] Engagement Skills Trainer 2000,[19] TOW anti-tank simulators, Milan anti-tank simulators |
Recent Supplies
- Lebanon received 31 M1151 (Up-Armored HMMWV) vehicles donated by the US on August 17, 2012
- Lebanon received 24 M1151 (Up-Armored HMMWV) vehicles donated by the US on July 22, 2011
- Lebanon received 106 vehicles donated by the UN in Lebanon on the Thirteenth of May 2011
- Lebanon received 30 M-198 Howitzers in January, 2010.[20] This follows an earlier supply of 41 Howitzers in 2008, and 36 Howitzers operated by the LAF since the 80's.
- Lebanon received 16 AIFVs and 12 M-113 Ambulances early December 2009, these were purchased from Belgium.[21]
- On May 22, Lebanon officially announced the delivery of the first 10 M60/A3, one M88, and several other items during a ceremony at Beirut International Airport.
- On March 23, 2009 the LAF took delivery of 40 HMMWVs, and 9 sport utility vehicles from the USA.[22]
- On March 20, 2009, the LAF purchased 6 Kawasaki Brute Force 750 4×4i.[13]
- On December 28, 2008 the USA delivered 72 HMMWVs were recently delivered, Twelve of these vehicles are ambulances.[23]
- During 2008, the US supplied Lebanon with 200 M35A3 and 41 M198 Howitzers.[24]
- As of March 2008, The Netherlands has donated 100 DAF trucks to the Lebanese Army.[25]
References
- ^ "Russia Donates Helicopters, Tanks, Cannons to Lebanese Army". Nahar Net. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
- ^ "Feu vert pour la vente d’armes belges au Liban". RTL info (in French) (Mouvement pour le Liban). August 27, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ "Le Liban achète 71 blindés à la Belgique" (in French). RTL Info. December 31, 2007. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ "Heavy U.S. Military Aid to Lebanon Arrives ahead of Elections". Naharnet Newsdesk. April 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ a b c Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (27 January 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ^ "Report: Profiling the Small Arms Industry – World Policy Institute – Research Project". World Policy Institute. November 2000. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
- ^ McNab, Chris (2002). 20th Century Military Uniforms (2nd ed.). Kent: Grange Books. ISBN 1-84013-476-3.
- ^ Christopher J. Castelli (September 2008). "Department of Defense to equip Lebanon's Special Forces with Small Arms, Vehicles". DISAM Journal. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
- ^ Daniel Watters. "The 5.56 X 45mm: 2008". The Gun Zone. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ "Lebanese Official Gazette (issues 2008)". Lebanese Official Gazette. Lebanese Government. [page needed]
- ^ Thomas Smith Jr., W. (October 10, 2007). "Black-Masked Commandos Training By The Sea". National Review. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
- ^ United States gives 200 M113s to Lebanon - Armyrecognition.com, January 8, 2013
- ^ a b "Lebanese Army purchases Kawasaki ATVs from RYMCO". Rymco. March 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
- ^ "كاسحة الألغامالجيش يتسلم كاسحة ألغام هبة من حكومة النروج". August, 2005.
- ^ "كاسحة الألغام "Armtrac" في تجربة تدليلية". April, 2006.
- ^ "افتتاح المشبّه التكتي". Lebanese Army Magazine (in Arabic). August, 2006.
- ^ "خبراء فرنسيون زاروا كلية فؤاد شهاب في مهمة حول المشبه التكتي". Lebanese Army Magazine (in Arabic). August, 2006.
- ^ "المشبّه التكتي". Lebanese Army Magazine (in Arabic). October, 2005.
- ^ "Cubic to Provide Small-Arms Trainers to New International Customers". Newsroom (Cubic Corporation). October 1, 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ "تسلّم مدافع وأعتدة وذخائر مختلفة". Lebanese Army News. Lebanese Army. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
- ^ "De Crem confirms the delivery of ex-Belgian AIFVs and M-113 Ambulances" (in Dutch/English). Belgian House of Representatives. January 6, 2010.
- ^ "U.S. Government Provides Tactical Vehicles to the Lebanese Armed Forces". Press releases 2009 (Embassy of the United States - Lebanon). March 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
- ^ "U.S. Government Provides Humvees to the Lebanese Armed Forces". Press Releases 2009 (Embassy of the United States - Beirut, Lebanon). January 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
- ^ Garamone, Jim (December 1, 2008). "U.S. Forces Help Lebanese Military Assert Control". American Forces Press Service - DefenseLink News. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
- ^ "حفل تسلّم آليات عسكرية تقدمة من دولة هولندا" (in Arabic). Lebanese Armed Forces. May, 2008.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
