| Free Libyan Navy | |
|---|---|
Naval Ensign |
|
| Active | 1966-Present |
| Country | Libya |
| Allegiance | Libyan Rapublıc |
| Type | Navy |
| Size | 2,800 |
| Headquarters | Tripoli |
| Nickname | Free Libyan Navy |
| Commanders | |
| Minister of Defense | Osama al-Juwali |
The Free Libyan Navy is the maritime force of Libya, established in November 1962. It is a fairly typical small navy with a few missile frigates, corvettes and patrol boats to defend the coastline, but with a very limited self-defence capability. The Navy has always been the smallest of Libya's services and has always been dependent on foreign sources for equipment, spare parts, and training.
Its first warship was delivered in 1966. Initially the effective force was limited to smaller vessels, but this changed after the rise of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 1969. From this time, Libya started to buy armaments from Europe and the Soviet Union. The Customs and Harbour police were amalgamated with the Navy in 1970, extending the Navy's mission to include anti-smuggling and customs duties. The total personnel of the Libyan Navy is about 8,000.
During the 2011 Libyan civil war several elements of the Libyan Navy were destroyed by NATO forces, including 8 warships in the night before 20 May and one on 17 August.[1][2] Two were also captured by the rebels at Benghazi.
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The Navy's primary mission is to defend the coast. A strengthening of the service was made in the 1970s; the Soviet Union sold six Foxtrot-class SSK submarines, and though two of them were only averagely serviceable, they became the main threats to the US Navy in the Mediterranean Sea. In the meantime, Libya bought four Russian Nanuchka class corvettes, that even in the export versions were well-armed and powerful ships. Another four Assad class corvettes were acquired from Italy. These had Otomat long range missiles (in the Mk.I version without datalink for in-flight course correction) and modern artillery. They were less well-armed as anti-aircraft ships than the Nanuchkas but, with a displacement almost twice that of a typical FAC, had ASW capabilities, with sonar and light torpedoes.
Libya's Navy first saw military action during an encounter with the United States Sixth Fleet in March 1986 in the Action in the Gulf of Sidra (1986), when one missile boat and a corvette were destroyed, and other ships were damaged by A-6s. Unusually, some of these attacks were performed, successfully, with CBUs like the Mk.20 Rockeye designed as an anti-tank weapon.
In July 1984, the Ro-Ro ferry Ghat is believed to have mined the Red Sea a few kilometres south of the Suez Canal. Approximately nineteen ships were damaged, including a Soviet container ship which was the first to be hit on 9 July. The Islamic Jihad Organisation took responsibility for the incident, however Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak did not believe the claims and blamed Muammar Gaddafi and Libya. Other sources agreed after it was learnt that the ship took fifteen days to complete a voyage that normally would take eight days, the head of the Libyan minelaying division was on board, and that, when inspected by French officials in Marseilles the aft door was damaged. Due to concerns about the safety and potential lost revenue from the canal, Egypt asked for assistance in sweeping the mines in a complex operation that involved mine-hunters from the French, British, Italian, Dutch, and US navies. The British located a Soviet-made mine, which was most likely sold to Libya after 1981 and was laid to cause problems for Egypt.[3]
During the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan Navy missile boats docked in Tripoli and began bombarding opposition controlled residential areas outside the city center leading to many casualties.[4] On 25 February 2011 naval officers in the rebel controlled areas declared their full support for the 17 February movement against the government.[5] Anti-government forces claimed that the Libyan navy shelled rebel positions during the Battle of Ra's Lanuf.[6] They also conducted a naval landing operation with four boats to flank rebel forces in Ra's Lanuf[7] On 9 July 2011, several light inflatable craft were destroyed by NATO warships when they were on their way to attack the rebel held city of Misrata. One of the NATO ships involved in the action was the HMS York.
On 17 August 2011, an RAF Tornado GR4 struck a moving Libyan Navy patrol boat with Paveway IV bombs. The boat had been observed supporting pro-Gaddafi forces during the Second Battle of Zawiya.[8]
2 × Koni class frigates (Type 1159) (one operational)
Armament:
Armament:
9 × Combattante II fast attack craft (7 operational)
Armament:
12 × Osa class missile boats (Type II) (4 operational)
Armament:
9 × Natya class minesweepers (Type 266ME) (5 operational)
Armament:
In addition to several auxiliary and landing craft.
Nour, a former trawler converted in the 1970's. was stricken in 2002.
6 × Foxtrot class submarine (2 left but probably abandoned)[9]
Libya received six Foxtrot-class military submarines from the Soviet Union in 1982. However, no submarine patrols were conducted after 1984, one submarine was reported sunk in 1993, and another one was abandoned in Lithuania due to international sanctions. Reports circulated about one submarine being refitted in 2003, but it is very unlikely that the submarines are still operational as of 2011.[9]
Facilities at Tripoli with foreign technicians for repair of vessels of up to 6,000 metric tons deadweight (DWT); a 3,200-ton lift floating dock; floating docks at Benghazi and Tobruk.
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