Los Angeles: Perhaps it is not a well-known fact, but Lebanon is the fifth largest recipient of US military aid in the world. The tiny Mediterranean country enclosed between war-torn Syria and a temperamental Israeli regime south of its border has been steadily receiving military equipment over the years to protect itself from regional dangers.
Most recently the US announced a $600-million programme for the Lebanese army and last week conducted a live-fire demonstration of advanced missiles supplied by the United States to help combat Islamist extremists along the country’s volatile border with Syria.
The exercise came after the delivery in late May of over 200 TOW II missiles and dozens of launchers valued at over $10 million (Dh36.7 million).
The equipment is jointly financed by Saudi Arabia and the US, as Islamist extremists have launched several attacks on Lebanese troops over the past two years, particularly in areas near the Syrian border, killing and wounding scores of soldiers.
Despite its tiny size, Lebanon is perceived by the US as a vital foreign policy interest due to its laissez-faire economy and its relative freedoms.
In fact, Beirut has housed American missionaries and leading institutions of higher learning since over a century ago.
Wary of regional threats, particularly the rise of extremist militant groups in neighbouring Syria, the US has made it among its top foreign policy priorities to prevent a spillover into Lebanon from Syria’s chaotic civil war.
The new military aid includes six Super Tucano attack airplanes, 2,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems and an ample supply of Hellfire missiles, made by Lockheed Martin.
The A20 Super Tucano Aircraft was the first acquisition of fixed-winged aircraft in many years.
The focus on Lebanon’s airborne capabilities is worth highlighting as it paves the way for it to transition into more sophisticated systems in the future.
