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| | Military age | 18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 6 months (2005)
| | Availability | males age 18-49: 974,363 (2005 est.)
| | Fit for military service | males age 18-49: 821,762 (2005 est.)
| | Active troops | 75,000
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| | Amount | $540.6 million (2002) (2004)
| | Percent of GDP | 3.1% (FY99) (2004)
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The consists of three branches:
- Lebanese Army
- Lebanese Air Force
- Lebanese Navy
The Lebanese Armed Forces' primary missions include maintaining security and stability in the country, guarding the country's borders, port security, relief operations, rescue operations, fire fighting, and fighting drug smuggling.
All three branches are operated and coordinated by LAF Command, which is located in Yarzeh, just east of the capital,
Beirut .
There are a total of six military colleges and schools in the country. Some cadets may be sent to other countries to receive additional training.
The equipment inventory of the Lebanese Armed Forces is approximately 85% US-made made with the remaining being British, French, and Soviet-made.
The Lebanese Army is made up of 5 Regional Commands, 11 Mechanized brigades, 1 Republican Guard brigade, 1 Commando regiment, 5 Special Forces regiments, 1 Airborne regiment, 1 Navy Commando regiment, and 2 Artillery regiments.
The
Republican Guard Brigade is responsible for protecting the president and travels with him wherever he goes.
The army's equipment includes approximately 700 US-made
M-113 Armored Personnel Carriers , 100 US-made
M-48 A1/A5 Medium Tanks , 200 Soviet-made
T-54/T-55 Medium Tanks , and 40 French-made
AMX-13 Light Tanks . The army also has a variety of artillery equipment and ground-based missile systems.
The air force currently lacks any operational fixed wing aircraft. Active aircraft include approximately 30 ex-
US Army Bell UH-1H helicopters, which are used throughout the country on a variety of missions.
The air force recently acquired 4 brand new
Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters, which are used for training purposes. They are based at Rayak Air Base in the eastern part of the country.
The Lebanese Navy is responsible for protecting Lebanon's waters, protecting ports, and fighting illegal smuggling of goods.
Equipment includes 5 British-made ATTACKER-class
Patrol Boats , 2 British-made TRACKER-class
Patrol Boats , and 2 French-made EDIC-class
Landing Crafts .
Lebanon previously had mandatory military service of one year for men. On May 4, 2005, a new conscription system was adopted, making for a six-month service, and pledging to end conscription within two years.
The government of Lebanon has contracted the governments of the
United States , the
United Kingdom ,
France ,
Jordan , and
Egypt to assess Lebanon's military and security infrastructure to develop reform programs in the near future.
With the departure of Syrian troops in April 2005, the government has made it a priority to modernize and upgrade the military and security forces.
