Lebanese Navy

The Lebanese Navy (Arabic: القوات البحرية اللبنانية‎ Al-qūwātu al-Baḥriyya al-Lubnāniyya), literally "the Lebanese Sea Forces" is the Navy of the Lebanese Armed Forces. It was formed in 1950 and based in Beirut Naval Base, Lebanon’s first naval base. The navy, which currently lacks the proper number of equipment, has a number of approximately 69 vessels of various sizes and roles; however, the navy is trying to modernize itself, and increase its size. The flag of the Lebanese navy depicts a Phoenician ship with the Lebanese Cedar tree, positioned on an anchor above the Arabic inscription of the navy's name.

Lebanese Navy
القوات البحرية اللبنانية
Flag of the Lebanese Navy
Founded1950
Country Lebanon
TypeNavy
Size1,700 personnel
69 Watercraft
Part ofLebanese Armed Forces
HeadquartersBeirut Naval Base
Engagements
Websitelebarmy.gov.lb
Commanders
Current
commander		Captain Haitham Dannaoui
Insignia
Emblem

The Lebanese government approved on January 16, 2009 a request by the Lebanese Ministry of Defense to build a new naval base on the shores of Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.[2]

Equipment

Current fleet list
Class Type Origin In Service note Photos
LANDING CRAFTS
Engin de débarquement d'infanterie et de chars
(LOA 59,00 Meters)		 Landing craft  France 21-Sour
22-Damour		 Armed with Nexter 15A (20 mm cannon)
PATROL BOATS
Advanced Multimission Platform
AMP 145
(LOA 43.50 metres)		 Coastal and blue water patrol Craft  United States
Security boat

(Sicherungsboot)34 meters patrol boat

  Germany 42 - Amchit
(ex-Bremen 2)		 out of service for lack of spare parts , and placed on shore at jounieh base for training.
Avel Gwalarn Class[3]
(LOA 30.35 meters/28 knots)		 patrol-boat
(Vedette)		  France 43-Al-Kalamoun
(ex-DF 41)		 armed with NEXTER Narwhal 20A (RWS)
Todendorf class
(LOA 28,90 Meters)		 Security boat
(Sicherungsboot)		  Germany 41-Tabarja
(ex-Y838 Bergen)		 Armed with NEXTER Narwhal 20A (RWS)
Fassmer FPB 20
(LOA 20,00 meters)		 308-Nakoura
(ex-Bremen 9)
  • armed with NEXTER Narwhal 20A (RWS)
  • equipped with water cannon for fire fighting
Attacker class
(LOA 20,00 meters)		 Boat  United Kingdom 301-Trablous
302-Jounieh
304-Jbeil
305-Beirut
306-Saida
307-Sarafand		 Armed with NEXTER 15A (20 mm cannon)
FAST INTERCEPT BOATS
Phenix 55 FPB[4]
(17 meters/46 knots)		 Speed-boat  Lebanon Sannine
Fast Intercept Boats  United Arab Emirates 4*16 meters
6*12 meters
Medium Yacht (Captured from a drug smuggler) [5] Boat 501-Imanuella
SMALL SUPPORT BOATS
Watercraft 45 ft
(13.7 meters)		 Boat  United Kingdom 4
SILLINGER 1200 RAFALE
(LOA 11.53 meters)		 High speed interceptor  France 4 Optional:
  • Front machine gun support
  • Side machine gun supports
Gun Boats [6]
(11 meters)		 RHIB  United States 8
MK2 Bridge Erection Boat/
Combat Support Boats
(8.24 meters)		 Boat  United Kingdom 27
SCIENTIFIC BOATS
hydrographic/
survey/
(7.5 meters)		 boat  Italy 1 housed with sophisticated electronic equipment for carrying out undersea measurements.

On February 19, 2015 the Saudi press agency quoted on a Saudi official that Saudi Arabia had halted the $3 billion program for military supplies to Lebanon. The Lebanese Navy does not have any operational vessels maneouvrable in difficult weather conditions and undergoes difficulties in accomplishing Search and Rescue missions, Marine Safety, Marine Environmental Protection, Maritime Law Enforcement and the controlling of illegal migrant traffic to Europe. Also, Lebanon intends to provide protection for the future natural gas installations and enforce the Law and State authority in Lebanese territorial waters. Lebanon counts on the US military aid to be equipped with multi-function vessels with a wide range of capabilities such as the RiverHawk OSV 60.

Coastal Radar Stations
Lebanese Armed Forces
Organization
Personnel
Topics of Lebanon

The Lebanese Navy is in charge of the coastal radar stations, in 1992, three stations in all of Tripoli, Sidon, and Tyre were established, followed by upgrades and new stations in 1997. However, during the 2006 Lebanon War all of the stations were bombed by the Israeli Navy. After the war ended, Germany and Lebanon signed a bilateral agreement to establish The Coastal Radar Organization (CRO) which aimed to create and consolidate a chain of seven coastal radar stations with the ability to cover the entire Mediterranean coast of Lebanon. Three of these stations are older and were refurbished with new equipment and facilities; the four other are new installations.

Surveillance

In February, 2008, the Lebanese navy ordered six Pharos XLR3+ Long Range Multisensor Surveillance Platforms in order to equip their naval stations which lack 24/7 long-range surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in all weather conditions.[7]

Training

The Lebanese Naval Forces send nearly all of their Navy officers for training abroad in a variety of European countries as well as the United States. Each country offers different training depending on the specializations of each officer. Officers sent to the United States have undergone schooling in surface warfare and experienced on job training with the US Coast Guard. Many Lebanese Naval Forces Engineers head to France where they receive education regarding detection, transmission, and artillery. Skills used in much of the domestic duties of the Lebanese Naval Forces from initial staff courses, amphibious training, and maritime drug enforcement are taught at British academies. The skills of the Lebanese Naval Forces are not incredibly diverse or necessarily advanced to the level of European countries due to their limited human resources and equipments.[8]

Cooperation with the UNIFIL MTF

The existence of the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force is helping the Lebanese Navy to enhance the skills of its personnel through the periodical joint exercises and daily cooperation. Upon the arrival of the MTF to the region (after the 2006 Lebanon War), the Lebanese Navy began jointly working with the navy in lead, which at the time was the Italian Navy, in order to insure a successful outcome to the assigned peace operation.[9]

See also

References
  1. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] Peacekeeping in between the Blue Line
  2. "Naval Base on the Shores of Nahr al-Bared Camp". Naharnet Newsdesk. January 16, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
  3. "Cérémonie de cession de la vedette française DF41 Avel Gwalarn au Liban" (in French). Ministère de la défense - Marine Nationale. May 27, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  4. Colonel Njeim, Antoine; Doumet, Salim; Masour, Terez (October 2007). القوات البحرية. Lebanese Army Magazine (in Arabic). Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  5. Wertheim, Eric (2007). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World. 291 Wood Road, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 446. ISBN 978-1-59114-955-2.CS1 maint: location (link)
  6. "Lebanese Navy receives 8 gunboats from America". April 14, 2014.
  7. "Lebanese Navy Order Pharos Long Range Multi-Sensor Surveillance Platform". Advanced Imaging Pro. February 14, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
  8. "Lebanese Navy". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
  9. "UNIFIL MTF and the Lebanese Navy cooperation and contribution to PSO" (PDF). Rear Admiral (UH) Ali EL MOALLEM. Retrieved 2008-12-29.


  • French Minister of Defense delegate Secretary of Old Combatants and Memories Kader Arif visits President of Lebanon Michel Suleiman and Commander-in-Chief of Lebanese Armed Forces Jean Kahwaji and Chief of General Staff in a hommage ceremonie to pay tribute to the victims of Drakkar on 23 October 2013; while Lebanon was celebrating its 70th Independence Anniversary; assuring the President of Lebanon "France remains and hopes to remain a lead partner for Lebanon in the mobilization of the international community to ensure political stability"
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