The Libyan National Army (LNA) is now operating new artillery systems including South African-made 155 mm G5 gun-howitzer and Serbian multiple rocket launchers (MRLs).
A video released on 14 November showing the artillery systems in an LNA live-fire exercise which featured “specialised battalions, artillery, armour, missiles, military engineering, special forces, the air force, and the parachute team.”
The G5 artillery were likely acquired from the United Arab Emirates, which procured six second-hand G5s in 1991/93 and 78 self-propelled G6 howitzers in 2013/14 from South Africa according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s arms transfers database.
In the exercise, three 130 mm M-46 and three 122 mm D-30 guns were also seen, along with mortars of various calibres and three MRLs.
For a long time, the UAE has been supportive of Khalifa Haftar’s Forces with various light and heavy military equipment. UAE is believed to have supplied Pantsir-S1 air defence systems and Javelin anti-tank missiles to the LNA, several of which have been captured.
Also, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have provided the LNA with armoured vehicles including Panthera T6, Inkas Titan-DS, Typhoon, Mbombe and, KADDB al-Mared, Caiman armoured vehicles, and aircraft including MiG-21 fighter aircraft and Mi-24/35P helicopters since 2014.
