Libyan Navy

Libyan Navy
القوات البحرية الليبية
Seal of the Libyan Navy
ActiveNovember 1962 – present
Country Libya
AllegianceGovernment of National Unity (pro-GNU)
House of Representatives (pro-HoR)
Formerly
Government of National Accord
BranchLibyan Armed Forces
TypeNavy
Size15,000 personnel
HeadquartersTripoli (Libyan Army)
Tobruk (Libyan National Army)
Equipment1 frigate
1 corvette
1 missile boat
2 minesweepers
2 landing crafts
EngagementsAction in the Gulf of Sidra (1986)
2011 Libyan civil war
Second Battle of Zawiya
Second Libyan Civil War
Battle of Sirte (2016)
2019-2020 Western Libya campaign
Commanders
Commander-in ChiefMohamed al-Menfi
Chief of Naval StaffAbdul Hakim Abu Hawliyeh (pro-GNU)(formerly pro-GNA) [1]
Admiral Faraj al-Mahdawi (pro-HoR)
Notable commanderCommander Rida Issa (pro-GNU) (formerly pro-GNA)
Insignia
Flag
Ensign

The Libyan Navy (Arabic: قوات البحرية الليبية) is the naval warfare branch of the Libyan Armed Forces. Established in November 1962, Libyan Navy was headed by Admiral Mansour Bader, Chief of Staff of the Libyan Naval Force. Before the First Libyan Civil War, it was a fairly typical small navy with a few missile frigates, corvettes and patrol boats to defend the coastline, but with a very limited self-defence capability.

The navy has always been the smallest of Libya's military branches and has always been dependent on foreign sources for equipment, spare parts, and training. Most of the Gaddafi-era fleet was destroyed in 2011. Since the start of the Second Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Navy is aligned with the Government of National Accord (GNA), led by the Presidential Council in Tripoli, apart from coastal patrol vessels under the control of the Libyan National Army.[2][3]

  1. ^ Libya celebrates 57th anniversary of the foundation of Libyan Navy. Libya Observer. Published 3 November 2019.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Anadolu_5migrants_die_Libya was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference JPack_Kingdom_Militias was invoked but never defined (see the help page).