Lebanon army receives 8 Bradley Fighting Vehicles from the US

Lebanon received eight Bradley Fighting Vehicles from the United States, the army said in a statement, the latest delivery of military equipment aimed at helping the country to protect its borders and fight terrorism.

The fourth batch of vehicles was part of the U.S. military assistance program for the Lebanese Army, the Sunday, August 12 statement said.

In total, the U.S. was to send 32 M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Lebanon, representing an investment of more than $100 million, Ambassador Elizabeth Richard said at a formal handover ceremony for Lebanon’s first batch of Bradleys in August 2017.

In July, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command said a recent delivery to Lebanon included eight Bradley Fighting Vehicles, along with hundreds of 40mm automatic grenade launchers and 155mm laser-guided artillery shells.

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is an armored infantry vehicle designed for reconnaissance and troop transport. Bradley M2 variants carry up to seven passengers and can be equipped with 25mm Bushmaster cannons, networked targeting sensors and TOW anti-armor and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.

In June, four A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft were formally handed over to Lebanon by the U.S., completing an order of six planes.

U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Richard at the time highlighted the “strong bond between the U.S. and Lebanon,” recalling that over the last decade, the U.S. government “has invested over $1.5 billion in training and equipment, and we have trained over 32,000 Lebanese troops.”

In December, Richard said that the U.S. is to supply new systems valued at more than $120 million to Lebanon including “six new MD 530G light attack helicopters, six new Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles, and leading edge communication and night vision devices.”

During a the 2017 Bradley handover ceremony, Richard noted that “in the past 12 months alone, the U.S. had provided 40 M198 howitzers; 50 armored Humvees; an armed Cessna aircraft with Hellfire missiles; 55 mortar systems; 50 Mark-19 automatic grenade launchers; 1,100 machine guns, including 800 50-caliber machine guns; 4,000 M4 rifles; over half a million rounds of ammunition; 320 night vision devices and thermal sights; and 360 secure communication radios.

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