Lebanese Armed Forces


The Lebanese Armed Forces, also known as the Lebanese Army, is the national military of the Republic of Lebanon. It consists of three branches, the ground forces, the air force, and the navy. The motto of the Lebanese Armed Forces is "Honor, Sacrifice, Loyalty". In politically unstable Lebanon, the Lebanese army has been described as one of the few state institutions in the country trusted by both the Lebanese population and the international community; and a guarantor of stability in multi-sectarian Lebanon.

Emblem

The Lebanese Armed Forces emblem consists of a Lebanon cedar tree surrounded by two laurel leaves, positioned above the symbols of the three branches: the ground forces represented by the two bayonets, the navy represented by an anchor, and the air force represented by two wings.

General overview

The Lebanese Armed Forces' primary missions include defending Lebanon and its citizens against external aggression, maintaining internal stability and security, confronting threats against the country's vital interests, engaging in social development activities and undertaking relief operations in coordination with public and humanitarian institutions.
The armed forces consist of 84,200 active personnel with the ground force consisting of approximately 80,000 troops, the air force 2,500 personnel and 1,700 in the naval force. The remaining personnel are commanders, advisors, engineers and members of the special forces. The LAF is an all-volunteer force. All three branches are operated and coordinated by the LAF Commander; a position customarily held by a Maronite Catholic Christian, from the ministry of defence which is located in Yarzeh, east of Lebanon's capital, Beirut. The current commander in chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces is General Rodolph Haykal. Currently, the LAF is ranked sixth in the world in terms of growth, with the number of military personnel doubling over the period between 1985 and 2000. The country has six military colleges and schools. Lebanese officers are sent to other countries such as the United States, Russia or other parts of Europe to receive additional training.
The equipment of the LAF is outdated due to lack of funds, political bickering and until the 2000s, the presence of foreign forces. The Lebanese government is working with its partners to improve the armed forces' capabilities. After the conclusion of the Lebanese Civil War, the LAF decided to repair as much of its equipment as it could, while being aided by modest donations from other states. The United States remains a key partner for Lebanon in this improvement process. About 85% of the LAF's equipment is US-made, with the remaining being UK, French, and Soviet-made.

History

During the period of semi-autonomous province of Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate between 1861 and 1914, the province reportedly had its own army of volunteer militias which gained the attention of a traveler in 1914, contending: "the free independent bearing of these mountaineers was in striking contrast to that of the underpaid, underfed and poorly clothed conscripts of the regular army".
The beginnings of the modern Lebanese Army arose during 1916, when the French government established the "Legion of the Orient", which included Lebanese soldiers. After a post World War I League of Nations mandate was established over Lebanon in April 1920, France formed the Army of the Levant, which was later reorganized to include the locally recruited Troupes Spéciales du Levant. These indigenous troops were diverse units composed of Lebanese, Syrian, Circassian and Kurdish enlisted personnel; all commanded predominantly by French officers. By 1938, the Troupes Speciales numbered 10,000 with 306 officers, of whom only 88 were French. In addition to the locally engaged Troupes Speciales; North African, Senegalese and French military units served in Syria and the Lebanon.
Later in 1926, the Lebanese First Sharp Shooters Unit was created out of the Special Troops of the Levant; it is considered to be a direct precursor to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
During World War II, Lebanese troops fought in Lebanon with the Vichy French forces against Free French and British forces. After the Vichy forces in the Middle East surrendered in July 1941, volunteers from the Troupes Spéciales du Levant enlisted in the Free French forces and participated in combat in Italy, North Africa, and southern France. In 1943, prior to the declaration of Lebanese independence, all the military units were combined in one brigade, the Fifth Brigade, under the command of General Fouad Chehab. On the day Lebanon declared independence, the Lebanese Third Sharp Shooters Regiment was placed at the disposal of the Lebanese government in order to maintain security. In June of the same year, the French reconstituted units of the Troupes Spéciales du Levant, which were then attached to the British forces in the Middle East. The majority of the Lebanese Armed Forces remained a part of the French Army in Lebanon.

Post-independence

After Lebanon gained independence in 1943, the Lebanese government formed an official delegation in 1944 to negotiate with the French the terms related to handing over the LAF. After nearly three weeks of talks, the joint French-British Command decreed that responsibility for armed units under French control was to be handed over to the Independent Government of Lebanon. These units were part of the Troupes Spéciales du Levant and totaled about 3,000 men. On August 1, 1945, at 00:00 hours, the LAF was placed under full authority of the Lebanese National Government; this day is commemorated annually as Lebanese Army Day.
After establishing authority over the LAF in 1945, the Lebanese government intentionally kept its armed forces small and weak due to the country's unique internal politics. Christian politicians feared that Muslims might use the armed forces as a vehicle for seizing power in a military coup. They also appeared unwilling to incur the cost of maintaining a large well equipped army. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Lebanon never spent more than 4% of its GNP on the military budget. Many Christian Lebanese also feared that a large army would inevitably force Lebanon into the Arab–Israeli conflict. However, Muslim politicians were also worried that a strong army could be used against Muslim interests because it would be commanded by Christians. At the same time they tended to feel that the military should be strong enough to play a part in the Arab-Israeli struggle. In addition to the two major conflicting views, prominent Lebanese politicians of the myriad of religious denominations in Lebanon have also tended to be feudal warlords commanding their own private militias and feared that a strong army would endanger their personal power.
On 6 June 1948, the 3rd battalion of the Lebanese Army, backed by Arab Liberation Army, fought Israeli forces occupying the Lebanese villages of Qadas and Malkieh and captured them, subsequently handing them over to the ALA and withdrawing by 8 July. This was the first major combat operation for the Lebanese Armed Forces under the independent Lebanese government.

Role in post 2005 Lebanon

The Lebanese military has been described by the Economist as one of the few respected institutions left in a fragmented Lebanon. Under the leadership of General Joseph Aoun, the army has been considered immune to sectarian preferences as well as immune to corruption. According to Nicholas Nasser, the LAF is "one of the few institutions that command the trust of both the vast majority of Lebanese citizens and international stakeholders". Nasser described the army as the embodiment of a multi sectarian society which is able to work together.
The Lebanese army today has 800,000 troops. Due to sectarian pressures and the fragmented political system, the Lebanese army is held back from fulfilling its obligations to disarm Hizbullah. However the Lebanese military has been able to "operate as a police force", preventing sectarian violence and resolving tensions between refugees and local Christians. The military has also kept watch on Shia refugees in non Shia areas fleeing warzones. According to the Economist, the army has also fought armed sectarian groups within Lebanon. The LAF is also seen as key to maintaining stability within Lebanon.

Centralized weapon control

Following the Israel–Hezbollah conflict that began in 2023, the killing of Nasrallah, Hezbollah weakening and the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, the new Lebanese government agreed on centralizing weapons control in the country. This meant disarmament of all armed militias in Lebanon, when the biggest issue is the disarmament of Hezbollah. On 5 September 2025 General Rodolphe Haykal presented to the government a multi-stage disarmament roadmap.
The roadmap presented to the Cabinet on 5 September 2025, has 5 phases:
Phase 1
During this phase the Lebanese army will complete the disarmament south of the Litani River, where a substantial weapons were already collected with the help of UNIFIL.
Phase 2
Will expand the operation to north of the Litani River up to the Awali River, that is as the entryway to South Lebanon.
Phase 3
Will see concentrate on Beirut and its suburbs in order to centralize control in a politically sensitive area.
Phase 4
Will put the focus on the Bekaa Valley region, extending disarmament reach into eastern Lebanon.
Phase 5
the final phase of the roadmap will see further activities in the rest of the country, including northern parts of Lebanon, ensuring nationwide enforcement.

Branches

Armed Forces Command

The LAF Command is headquartered at Yarzeh. The Military Council has 6 members which includes the Army Commander, the Chief of Staff and 4 generals representing the Sunnis, Shi’a, Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic.