Lebanon to Receive 100 HOT Missiles, Other Weapons from France

Lebanon will receive 100 HOT missiles, a simulator, training equipment and large quantities of spare parts and tools from France.

The Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly met with Lebanese Defense Minister Yacoub Sarraf on March 8 at her office. Parly confirmed to her Lebanese counterpart an immediate program of training and disposal of military equipment to benefit Lebanon, French Armed Forces Ministry said in a statement Thursday.

This meeting evoked the regional environment, in particular the conflict in Syria and its consequences on the security and humanitarian situation of Lebanon. The meeting focused on the preparation of the conference on support to the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces, which is being held on March 15 in Rome.

France will also train the Lebanese forces to combat Improvised Explosive Devices, and continue increasing its military working dog capabilities and provide equipment to specialist units (snipers, mountain troops and intervention force).

This assistance is in addition to the military cooperation efforts that have considerably increased in recent years between France and Lebanon. Thus, as early as 2016, a reinforced cooperation plan was implemented between the two states. This included the provision of VAB armored vehicles with HOT anti-tank missile capability. Technical and tactical training accompanied these deliveries. At the same time, the increase in the number of operational training detachments deployed in Lebanon has provided Lebanese military units with French expertise in the fight against terrorism.

With this effort, and with the additional contributions it will soon announce, France is working both to strengthen the means to fight the jihadist threat and to support the Lebanese State to fully exercise its sovereignty.