Lebanese Armed Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lebanese Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
 Lebanese Armed Forces Emblem |
|
| Active | August 1, 1945 - Present |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Role | Foreign and Domestic Defense |
| Part of | The Commander-in-Chief, The Chief of Staff, 4 Deputy Chiefs of staff, Various Directorates |
| Garrison/HQ | LAF Command, Yarzeh |
| Motto | "Honor, Sacrifice, Loyalty" |
| Anniversaries | August 1 |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Michel Sulaiman |
| Notable commanders |
Fuad Chehab, Emile Boustani, Michel Aoun, Emile Lahoud |
The military of the Republic of Lebanon is officially known as the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية al-Quwa'at al-Musalha al-Lubna'ani.ya) and consists of three branches:
- The Lebanese Army
- The Lebanese Navy
- The Lebanese Air Force
Contents |
[edit] General overview
The Lebanese Armed Forces' primary missions include; defending Lebanon and its citizens against all aggression, confronting threats against the country's vital interests, maintaining internal stability and security, engaging in social development activities and undertaking relief operations in coordination with public and humanitarian institutions.
The LAF consists of approximately 72,100 active personnel[1] with the Ground Forces consisting of approximately 70,000 troops, the Air Force consisting of approximately 1,100 personnel and another 1,000 in the Navy.
All three branches are operated and coordinated by LAF Command, which is located in Yarzeh, just east of the capital, Beirut. There are a total of six military colleges and schools in the country. Some cadets may be sent to other countries to receive additional training.
The equipment inventory of the LAF is outdated due to a lack of funds, lack of foreign investement, political bickering and until recently the presence of foreign forces. After the conclusion of the Lebanese Civil War the LAF decided to repair as much of its equipment as it could, while being aided by modest donations from other nations. Approximately 85% of the LAF's equipment is US-made with the remaining being British, French, and Soviet-made.
[edit] Lebanese Ground Forces
The Lebanese Army is made up of:
- 5 Regional Commands
- 11 Mechanized brigades
- 2 Artillery regiments
- 1 Commando regiment
- 5 Special Forces regiments
- 1 Airborne regiment
- 1 Navy Commando regiment
- Republican Guard brigade
- Medical Services
- Support brigade
- Logistics brigade
- Military police
- Independent work regiment
| Main Battle Tank | T-54/T-55, M-48A1/M-48A5 | 310 |
| Armoured Personnel Carriers | M-113A1/M-113A2, Panhard M-3, VAB VCI | 1257 |
| Towed Artillery | M-101A1 (105 mm), D-30 (122 mm), M-30 M-1938 (122 mm), M-46(130 mm), M-114A1(155 mm), M-198(155mm), Model 50 (155 mm) | 147 |
| Armoured Fighting Vehicles | AMX-13, Saladin, Ferret, AML-90, Staghound | 190 |
| Anti-Aircraft Weaponry | M-42A1 (40 mm), ZU-23 (23 mm), SA-7A/SA-7B Grail | 30+ |
| Various Missiles | ENTAC, Milan, BGM-71 TOW | 70 |
| Atillery Rockect Systems | BM-21, BM-11 | 30 |
| Infantry Weapons | M-40A1, RPG-7, M-65, Various Mortars | 419+ |
[edit] Lebanese Navy
The Lebanese Navy is responsible for protecting Lebanon's waters, protecting ports, and fighting illegal smuggling of goods.
The structure of the navy is centralised around the Navy Command, then it branches off into the quarter-general of the Navy, the Department of Naval Equipment Stores, the Naval School, Beirut Naval Base and the Jounieh Naval Base.
| Combat Support Boats | British Made | 27 | |
| Landing Crafts | EDIC-class (French Made) | 2 | |
| Patrol Boats | TRACKER-Class, ATTACKER-Class | 7 |
[edit] Lebanese Air Force
The air force currently lacks any operational fixed-wing aircraft. It does however have an number of helicopters which are used throughout the country on a variety of missions:
| Helicopters | SA-342, UH-1H, Bell 212, AB-205, Aérospatiale Alouette III, SA-330 Aérospatiale Alouette II | 58+ |
| Trainers | Bulldog, CM-170 | 6 |
| Transport | Turbo-Commander 690A, DOVE | 2 |
The air force recently acquired 4 brand new Robinson R44 helicopters, which are used for training purposes. They are based at Rayak Air Base in the eastern part of the country.
The Lebanese Air Force has not flown any combat sorties since September 17, 1983. This was during the period where the French and Americans were rebuilding the Lebanese army, and 3 Hawker Hunter F.Mk.70s were made airworthy, and started combat operations on September 15th. Because the main airfield, Rayak Air Base had been shelled by Syrian forces, the Hunters had to operate from an airfield in Biblos. The last sortie was an attempt with French Super Etendards from the Clemenceau to attack Druze positions. One was shot down and the pilot barely managed to eject himself into the sea. The second Hunter was heavily damaged and made a forced landing at Biblos. The third did not return to the base but flew straight to Akrotiri, Cyprus, with the pilot eventually requesting political asylum.
The Air Force also used to have a small force of Mirage IIIs from France. These aircraft flew occasional sorties during the beginning of the civil war. All of the Mirages were sold to Pakistan in 2000.
The Aérospatiale Alouette III and the Aérospatiale Alouette II has been phased out.
Because of the lack of spare parts, the Agusta-Bell AB212s, the remaining SA-342 Gazelles (those who were not destroyed on ground by the Lebanese forces militia in 1989) and the SA-330 Pumas are grounded. Only the Hueys UH-1H and the Robinson R44 are currently operational.
[edit] Conscription
Lebanon previously had mandatory military service of one year for men. On May 4, 2005, a new conscription system was adopted, making for a six-month service, and pledging to end conscription within two years.
[edit] Future
The government of Lebanon has contracted the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Jordan, and Egypt to assess Lebanon's military and security infrastructure to develop reform programs in the near future. With the departure of Syrian troops in April 2005, the government has made it a priority to modernize and upgrade the military and security forces.
During mid-July & mid-August of 2006 Lebanon was under heavy air, sea, and land attacks by Israeli forces. The LAF took no action to defend against the Israelis. Media reports indicate that Lebanese military facilities as well as LAF personnel had been struck by Israeli bombardment. The LAF website also listed personnel killed by the Israelis.
The Air Force has no aircraft to counter the Israeli Air Force with. The Army does have anti-aircraft guns which they have claimed have fired on the Israelis. No Israeli aircraft were damaged by the LAF.
After the July war the LAF deployed south of the Litani River for the first time since 1968 to enforce Security Council Resolution 1701. The LAF says it will not disarm Hezbollah by force.
