Lebanese army receives more arms, ammunition from US

The Lebanese Army on Thursday received a shipment  of  arms and ammunition as part of the U.S. military assistance program, National News Agency reported

The shipment was received by the army’s Logistic Brigade at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, NNA said.

The shipment   air-to-surface Hellfire missiles and a quantity of 60mm mortar shells, NNA added.

This development comes one  day after   the Lebanese Air Force (LAF)  received from the United States two A-29 Super Tucano aircraft.

A ceremony was  held yesterday at the  Lebanese Air Force  Hamat base  that was  attended by Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard and the U.S. Air force Central Commander General Jeffrey Harrigian.

Richard expressed in a speech her country’s commitment to continue supporting Lebanon’s armed forces to enable it protecting the sovereignty and integrity of its territories.

The ambassador stressed the LAF will be able to conduct joint combined arms maneuvers with A-29 aircraft in all conditions, day and night, in a way that greatly reduces the risk of collateraldamage and the danger to non-combatants.

She also highlighted the partnership between the two armies, noting over the last decade, the U.S. government has invested over 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in training and equipment, and has trained over 32,000 Lebanese troops.

Meanwhile, General Aoun described the relation between Lebanon and the United States as being in a new era of cooperation.

“It is a new era that holds a lot of significance and meanings: firstly, the will of the United States to continue providing qualitative support to the Lebanese Armed Forces; secondly, the trust of the armed forces in protecting Lebanon; thirdly, the commitment of the United States to preserve Lebanon’s stability during crisis and events in an unstable region,” he said.