United Kingdom delivers military equipment to Lebanese army

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Defence & Security News - Lebanon

 
 
Thursday, October 23, 2014 10:00 AM
 
United Kingdom delivers military equipment to Lebanese army
The United Kingdom has delivered military defense equipment to the Lebanese Army to deal with the jihadist threat on its eastern border with Syria, the British embassy announced Wednesday, October 22.
     
British Land Rover given as aids by UK to Lebanese army in December 2013British Land Rover given as aids by UK to Lebanese army in December 2013
     
The donation, worth $16 million, includes 164 Land Rovers, 1,500 sets of body armor, a secure radio communication network, border watchtowers, and HESCO bastions to protect Army positions along the frontier.

The donation was announced one day after a meeting between U.K. Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Sir Nicholas Houghton and Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi.

“I am impressed by the work done by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to safeguard Lebanon's security and sovereignty and contain the overspill from Syria,” Houghton said after the meeting, according to a statement issued Wednesday.

“As part of this commitment, the U.K. intends to expand its ongoing 'train and equip' program to strengthen the Land Border Regiments of the Lebanese Armed Forces,” he added

The regiments supported by the program will monitor 150 kilometers of Lebanon’s border with Syria.

The Lebanese Army has been receiving increased military aid from different states in recent years to contain the spillover of violence caused by the Syrian war.

Saudi Arabia pledged the two largest military donations totaling $4 billion.

The latest of the two, a $1 billion aid package that former Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced and claimed responsibility for facilitating, is expected to be delivered soon. Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi announced Wednesday that the contracts for the equipment worth one third of the aid had already been signed.

As for the earlier $3 billion aid announced by Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz, it will come in the form of weapons, equipment and training to be provided by France.

This donation has not yet gone into effect with reports saying that the kingdom first wants to receive assurances that the weapons will not benefit Hezbollah.