Libyan National Army

Libyan National Army

The Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), also known as the Libyan Arab Army (LAA) or Libyan National Army (LNA) are the armed forces of the Libyan faction led by Khalifa Haftar. They were, nominally, a unified national force under the command of Haftar when he was nominated to the role on 2 March 2015 by the House of Representatives, consisting at the time of a ground force, an air force and a navy.

In 2014, LNA launched Operation Dignity, a military campaign against the General National Congress and armed militias and Islamist militant organizations. When the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) was established in Tripoli, part of the Libyan military forces were named the Libyan Army to contrast with the other part that retained the LNA identity. In the Second Libyan Civil War, the LNA was loyal to that part of the Libyan House of Representatives that met in Tobruk, internationally recognised until October 2015. It fights against the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, as well as Islamic State in Libya which was a common enemy for both LNA and the Libyan Army.

About half of the LNA consists of militias including Madkhali (Salafist) militias and Sudanese, Chadian and Russian mercenaries, which together constitute part of the LNA's effective forces. The LNA possesses its own air force. Most of the Libyan Navy is loyal to the GNA.

Interventions in the political system by the LNA include the late 2016 replacement of nine elected municipal councils out of a total of 27, replacing elected mayors by mostly military individuals and, according to witnesses cited by The Independent, the 17 July 2019 abduction of House of Representatives member Seham Sergiwa at her home in Benghazi by the 106th Brigade. The LNA stated that it was not responsible for the Sergiwa abduction.

Name

Libyan National Army

In November 2019, the United Nations Panel of Experts on Libya established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 started using the name Haftar Armed Forces (HAF) to replace the name Libyan National Army to refer to "all armed groups associated with Haftar". It also chose to use lower case regarding "brigades" and "battalions" in order to avoid giving them "the legitimacy of being a formed military unit of a government".

Allies

Libyan National Army

Haftar and the LNA is de facto backed by the governments of Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. France has also provided tacit backing for Haftars forces. France carried out unprecedented air strikes by its Airforce on Chadian opposition fighters, which are LNA's biggest opponents. This resulted in a public dispute with Italy, which is supporting the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

Russia is Haftar's most committed ally. In May 2020 the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) stated that Russia had deployed at least 14 MiG planes to the country. The plans were supported by private military contractors of Wagner Group and supporting the LNA.

Structure

Libyan National Army

• Ground forces • Regular forces • Special forces • Military intelligence • Militias • Foreign units • LNA component of the Libyan Air Force • Naval forces: coastal patrol vessels

Leadership

Libyan National Army

Khalifa Haftar was made head of the armed forces of Libya on 2 March 2015, remaining as leader of the Libyan National Army after the split between the LNA and the Government of National Accord (GNA). As of December 2017, Major General Abdulrazek al-Nadoori was the chief of staff of the LNA. A lobbying firm was paid US$450,000 to lobby on his behalf for 12 months, starting 1 December 2017, in Washington, D.C. Mahmoud al-Werfalli, known internationally for his International Criminal Court arrest warrant under Article 8(2)(c)(i) of the Rome Statute, was Axes Commander in the al-Saiqa unit of the LNA as of August 2017.

• Commander-in-chief Aguila Saleh Issa (President of the Libyan House of Representatives). • Supreme commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. • Chief of Staff of the Libyan Air Force Major General Saqr Geroushi. • Military intelligence Major General Ramadan Atiat-Allah. • Libyan Special Forces Major General Wanis Bukhamada. • Head of Operations Major General Abdulsalam al-Hasy. • Official Spokesperson of the LNA Major General Ahmed al-Mesmary. • Head of Darna operations room Major General Salim al-Rifady al-Obaidy.

Ground forces

Regular forces

As of May 2019, the LNA had about 7000 regular forces. These include:

106th Brigade

In April 2019, the 106th Brigade, also known as Awlia Aldem (Arabic: أوليء الدم) was led by Khaled, son of Khalifa Haftar. As of June 2019, the brigade's commander was Salem Rahil.

On 17 July 2019, according to witnesses cited by The Independent and a family member cited by CNN, 25–30 masked, uniformed 106th Brigade members abducted member of the Libyan House of Representatives Seham Sergiwa in Benghazi. The LNA stated that it was not responsible for the abduction. As of 17 October 2019, after multiple calls by UNSMIL for the LNA to investigate the disappearance, Sergiwa remained missing.

9th Brigade

Leader: Kani brothers; origin: Tarhuna (Aug 2019)

128th Battalion

Leader: Hassan al-Zadma; many Mahamid members (Aug 2019)

Special forces

Al-Saiqa is an elite army unit, formed from a mixture of paratroopers and commandos. It numbers a few thousand and reports to the Ministry of Defence. It is popular in Benghazi, particularly in light of its opposition to Islamist Ansar al-Sharia group and because it is seen as a symbol of the reborn Libyan armed forces.

Militias

Madkhali militias in the LNA include the Tawhid Battalion commanded by Izz al-Din al-Tarhuni; the Tariq Ibn Ziyad Brigade, the Subul al-Salam group and the al-Wadi Brigade. LNA groups from Sabratha, Sorman, Tiji and Badr, towns in which Madkhali preachers were active and supported Haftar, are mostly Madkhali Salafists.

During the 2019–20 Western Libya campaign, the LNA was allied with the al-Kaniyat militia in Tarhuna.

The number of auxiliary LNA forces (militias and mercenaries) was estimated in May 2019 as 18000 by Jason Pack of the Institute for International Political Studies.

Foreign mercenaries

Foreign mercenaries operating during 2019 Western Libya offensive on behalf of the LNA include Sudanese, Chadians and Russians.

Sudanese from the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (Minnawi) were present in Libya starting in March 2015 and fought on behalf of the LNA in 2016. SLM (Minnawi) planned on leaving Libya in early 2017. Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (al-Nur) fighters fought on behalf of the LNA, with 1500 personnel in Libya in mid-2016. Involvement of Sudanese mercenaries continued in 2018. On 25 July 2019, 1000 members of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces, widely attributed to be responsible for the 3 June 2019 Khartoum massacre, arrived in Libya and were expected to number 4000 in total.

Chadians from the Rally of Democratic Forces (French: Rassemblement des Forces Démocratique) were recruited by the LNA in late 2015, especially in the southern part of Libya.

There were an estimated 200 Russian Wagner Group mercenaries in the LNA in 2019.

On 1 January 2022, the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission announced the deportation of 300 Sudanese mercenaries linked to the LNA from the Eastern Region.

History

2011–2013

The Libyan National Army was founded in 2011 by the National Transitional Council, after forces aligned to it defeated the previous Libyan Army and overthrew Muammar Gaddafi's government. Supply depots and bases having been damaged during the civil war, the new army is faced with the challenge of having to rebuild much of the country's military infrastructure. Yousef Mangoush was named as its first Chief of Staff on 2 January 2012 and the force saw its first major deployment on 23 February, when it was deployed to Kufra to intervene in a tribal conflict.

In November 2011, the National Transitional Council began the difficult process of restructuring the army, with military personnel who defected from the Gaddafi government and former rebel fighters of the National Liberation Army forming the basis of the new Libyan Army. Major General Khalifa Belgacem Haftar was chosen as the overall commander of the new Libyan Army due to his military experience and loyalty to the revolution that overthrew Gaddafi.

The Libyan Army only numbered "a few thousand" trained soldiers in November 2011, and was rapidly trying to train up new fighters who could keep the peace nationwide and deter rogue militias from acting without NTC orders, and was responsible for brokering a ceasefire on at least one occasion in November between warring militas from Zawiya and Al Maya.

On 1 December 2011, it was reported that the National Liberation Army was to integrate up to 50,000 former rebel fighters into the new Libyan national army and police forces, with the aid of French training, with long-term aims to integrate as many as 200,000 fighters from the brigades that had fought against Gaddafi during the civil war.

In December 2011, Italy agreed to provide training to the Libyan Army as it attempted to reorganize in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Also in December, large numbers of former rebels were being given jobs in the new army, whilst the government also announced that they would be free to join the special forces and the Navy too. According to Osama al-Juwaili, the defence minister: "The idea is to inject new blood in the army which was marginalised by the tyrant (Gaddafi)"

General Yousef Mangoush said on 5 January 2012 that Libya's new army faces major obstacles such as rebuilding bases destroyed during the conflict, as well as disarming militias that were not part of the new army. National Army commander General Khalifa Haftar said later that it could take between three and five years for Libya to field a capable enough army to protect its borders.

On 7 May 2013, Libya's Defense Minister Mohammed al-Barghathi resigned due to a crisis caused by gunmen who have besieged two ministries for more than a week, a ministry official said. He later withdrew his resignation after Prime Minister Zeidan convinced him to stay.

Under an agreement reached at the Lough Erne G8 summit in June 2013, NATO countries the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, and the United States undertook to help train up to 15,000 personnel from Libyan National Army units over a two-year period. They were to take units from newly formed brigades for 10-week stints of intensive infantry training. The 27th Brigade was due to start at Bassingbourn in eastern England in January 2014. As a result of disorder and sexual assaults by some Libyan army cadets, the UK cancelled the programme in November 2014. The Libyan trainees were sent back to Libya, with the exception of five who were tried for sexual offenses.

2016 overthrow of mayors

In late 2016, Major-General Abdulrazek al-Nadoori of the LNA replaced several of the elected municipal mayors in eastern Libya by unelected people, mostly military. Altogether the LNA replaced nine elected councils, out of 27 in its area of control, by military administrators.

2025

In May 2025, days after the 2025 Tripoli clashes, the LNA held a large military parade showing off advanced equipment in Benghazi, including the BM-30 Smerch and the Tor missile system.

Equipment

Libyan National Army

Chinese Wing Loong II UAVs deployed by the UAE to the LNA

Whilst it is known to a degree what equipment the Libyan National Army uses, the exact numbers of the below equipment currently in use is not known. What is certain is that a reasonable quantity of their equipment probably came from ransacked stocks of the original Libyan Army and from defectors as well. A significant amount of arms and equipment possessed by the LNA were majorly shipped by the United Arab Emirates and Russia.

Having an airbase in Libya (Al-Khadim), the UAE constantly breached the UN arms embargo to transfer arms to the Haftar forces. An Emirati firm, Lancaster-6 was involved in transferring three Super Pumas to the LNA in June 2019. The helicopters were believed to be inoperable. The three helicopters remained inside hangars until Haftar's military parade in May 2021 and were expected to take part in his air force.

Small arms

<table><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Image</th><th>Country of origin</th><th>Type</th><th>Caliber</th><th>Details</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>AK-47</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Assault rifle</td><td>7.62×39mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AKM</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Assault rifle</td><td>7.62×39mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AK-103</td><td></td><td> Russia</td><td>Assault rifle</td><td>7.62×39mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AR-M1</td><td></td><td> Bulgaria</td><td>Assault rifle</td><td>5.56×45mm NATO 7.62×39mm</td><td>Supplied by the UAE.</td></tr><tr><td>Type 56</td><td></td><td> China</td><td>Assault rifle</td><td>7.62×39mm</td><td>Type 56-1 rifles supplied by the UAE.</td></tr><tr><td>Heckler & Koch G36</td><td></td><td> Germany</td><td>Assault rifle</td><td>5.56×45mm NATO</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>MAT-49</td><td></td><td>France</td><td>Submachine gun</td><td>9×19mm Parabellum</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>FN P90</td><td></td><td> Belgium</td><td>Submachine gun</td><td>FN 5.7×28mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>SVD</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Designated marksman rifle</td><td>7.62×54mmR</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>RPD machine gun</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Light machine gun</td><td>7.62×39mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>RPK machine gun</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Light machine gun</td><td>7.62×39mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>PKM</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>General-purpose machine gun</td><td>7.62×54mmR</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Type 80</td><td></td><td> China</td><td>General-purpose machine gun</td><td>7.62×54mmR</td><td>Supplied by the UAE.</td></tr><tr><td>DShK</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Heavy machine gun</td><td>12.7×108mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>W85</td><td></td><td> China</td><td>Heavy machine gun</td><td>12.7×108mm</td><td>Supplied by the UAE.</td></tr><tr><td>SPG-9</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Recoilless rifle</td><td>73mm</td><td>Supplied by Jordan.</td></tr><tr><td>Carl Gustaf</td><td></td><td> Sweden</td><td>Recoilless rifle</td><td>84mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>M40A1</td><td></td><td> United States</td><td>Recoilless rifle</td><td>105mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>RPG-7</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Rocket-propelled grenade</td><td>40mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Type 69 RPG</td><td></td><td> China</td><td>Rocket-propelled grenade</td><td>40mm</td><td>Supplied by the UAE.</td></tr><tr><td>RPG-32</td><td></td><td> Russia  Jordan</td><td>Rocket-propelled grenade</td><td>105mm</td><td>RPG-32 Nashshab supplied by Jordan.</td></tr><tr><td>9M14 Malyutka</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Anti-tank guided missile</td><td>125mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>9K111 Fagot</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Anti-tank guided missile</td><td>120mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>9M113 Konkurs</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Anti-tank guided missile</td><td>135mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>9M133 Kornet</td><td></td><td> Russia</td><td>Anti-tank guided missile</td><td>152mm</td><td>Supplied by the UAE. Some Iranian-made copies are also used.</td></tr><tr><td>MILAN</td><td></td><td> France  Germany</td><td>Anti-tank guided missile</td><td>115mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>FGM-148 Javelin</td><td></td><td> United States</td><td>Anti-tank guided missile</td><td>127mm</td><td>Transferred from France.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Main battle tanks

Model	Image	Origin	Variant	Details
T-54/T-55		Soviet Union  Egypt	T-55A T-55E	Supplied by Egypt.
T-62		Soviet Union  Russia	T-62M T-62MV	T-62M and T-62MV supplied by Russia.
T-72		Soviet Union	T-72 T-72M1	Some were upgraded by General Dynamics UK prior to the 2011 Libyan revolution.
Haider (tank)		Pakistan	44	was bought along with aircraft in 2025.

Armored fighting vehicles

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Variant	Details
BMP-1		Soviet Union	Infantry fighting vehicle
BMP-3		Russia	Infantry fighting vehicle		10 delivered in 2013.
Ratel IFV		South Africa	Infantry fighting vehicle	Ratel 20 Ratel 60	1 Ratel 60 was captured by the GNA at Tarhuna.
BRDM-2		Soviet Union  Ukraine	Armored car		Some were supplied by the UAE.
EE-9 Cascavel		Brazil	Armored car
M113		United States	Tracked armored personnel carrier
MT-LB		Soviet Union	Command vehicle	MT-LBu
BTR-60		Soviet Union	Wheeled armored personnel carrier	BTR-60PB
KADDB Al Mared		Jordan	Wheeled armored personnel carrier		Supplied by Jordan.
Mbombe 6		South Africa	Wheeled armored personnel carrier		Supplied by Jordan.
Nimr		United Arab Emirates	Wheeled armored personnel carrier	Jais N35 4x4 Nimr II	Delivered in 2013.
Puma		Italy	Wheeled armored personnel carrier	6x6	20 donated by Italy.
BAE Caiman		United States	MRAP		Supplied by the UAE.
INKAS Titan		United Arab Emirates	MRAP	Titan-S 4x4 Titan-S 6x6 Titan-DS	Supplied by the UAE.
STREIT Group Typhoon		United Arab Emirates	MRAP		50 donated by the UAE.
BMC Vuran		Turkey	MRAP		Captured from GNA forces.
HMMWV		United States	Infantry mobility vehicle		200 donated by the US in 2012.
KADDB Al Wahsh		Jordan	Infantry mobility vehicle		Supplied by Jordan.
STREIT Group Cougar		United Arab Emirates	Infantry mobility vehicle		Supplied by the UAE.
KrAZ Cobra		United Arab Emirates /  Ukraine	Infantry mobility vehicle		Supplied by the UAE.
STREIT Group Spartan		United Arab Emirates	Infantry mobility vehicle		750 donated by the UAE.
Panthera T6		United Arab Emirates	Infantry mobility vehicle		Supplied by the UAE.
Panthera F9		United Arab Emirates  Turkey	Infantry mobility vehicle		Supplied by the UAE.
Igirigi APC		Nigeria	Infantry mobility vehicle	Mk II	Supplied by the UAE.
TAG Terrier LT-79		United States	Infantry mobility vehicle		Supplied by the UAE.
TAG BATT AP		United States	Infantry mobility vehicle		Supplied by the UAE.
GAZ Tigr		Russia	Infantry mobility vehicle	Tigr-M	4 were transferred from the Wagner Group to the LNA.

Artillery

Name	Image	Country of origin	Type	Caliber	Details
2S1 Gvozdika		Soviet Union	Self-propelled gun	122mm
D-30		Soviet Union	Towed howitzer	122mm
M-30		Soviet Union	Towed howitzer	122mm	Supplied by Russia.
G5 howitzer		South Africa	Towed howitzer	155mm	Supplied by the UAE.
Type 63		China  Sudan	Towed multiple rocket launcher	107mm	Sudanese-made launchers are also used.
LRSVM Morava		Serbia	Self-propelled multiple rocket launcher	107mm 122mm	Supplied by the UAE.
BM-21 Grad		Soviet Union	Self-propelled multiple rocket launcher	122mm
M1989		North Korea  United Arab Emirates	Self-propelled multiple rocket launcher	122mm	240mm rocket launcher modified to fire 122mm rockets.
Scud-B		Soviet Union	Tactical ballistic missile
M106 mortar carrier		United States	Mortar carrier	107mm
Boragh		Iran	Mortar carrier	120mm	Supplied by Sudan.
Type 31		China	Infantry mortar	60mm	Supplied by the UAE.
82-BM-37		Soviet Union	Infantry mortar	82mm	Some were supplied by Russia.
120-PM-43 mortar		Soviet Union	Towed mortar	120mm	Some were supplied by Russia.

Air defense

<table><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Image</th><th>Country of origin</th><th>Type</th><th>Caliber</th><th>Details</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>S-125</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union  Belarus</td><td>Short-range surface-to-air missile</td><td></td><td>Supplied by the UAE.</td></tr><tr><td>9K31 Strela-1</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Short-range surface-to-air missile</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2K12 Kub</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Medium range surface-to-air missile</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pantsir-S1</td><td></td><td> Russia</td><td>Medium range SAM and SPAAG</td><td>30mm</td><td>Supplied by the UAE.</td></tr><tr><td>9K338 Igla-S</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union  Russia</td><td>Man-portable air-defense system</td><td>72mm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ZPU-2</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Anti-aircraft gun</td><td>14.5×114mm</td><td>Mounted on technicals.</td></tr><tr><td>ZU-23-2</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union Polish People's Republic</td><td>Anti-aircraft gun</td><td>23x152mmB</td><td>Mounted on technicals. Some Polish-made guns were supplied by the UAE.</td></tr><tr><td>ZSU-23-4</td><td></td><td> Soviet Union</td><td>Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun</td><td>23x152mmB</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>S-400 missile system</td><td></td><td> Russia</td><td></td><td></td><td>6</td></tr></tbody></table>

Utility vehicles and trucks

Name	Image	Country of origin	Type	Model	Details
Toyota Land Cruiser		Japan	Utility vehicle	HZJ-79	Used as technicals.
Jeep J8		United States	Light utility vehicle		Supplied by Egypt.
Fath Safir		Iran	Light utility vehicle		Supplied by Sudan.
KAMAZ		Russia	Medium truck	6x6
Iveco Trakker		Italy	Heavy truck (10 tonnes)	Trakker 380

UAVs

Name	Image	Country of origin	Type	Details
CAIG Wing Loong II		China	Attack drone
Mohajer 2		Iran	Surveillance drone	Supplied by Sudan.