US clears $100M A-29 Super Tucano sustainment deal for Lebanese Air Force
Years ago, the Lebanese armed forces eyed expanding the A-29 fleet up to as many as 12, but these ambitions never came together
Years ago, the Lebanese armed forces eyed expanding the A-29 fleet up to as many as 12, but these ambitions never came together
"The broader Lebanese population sees little strategic or national benefit in entangling their fragile country further in Iran’s own agenda, particularly after the heavy toll they have already paid," one analyst told Breaking Defense.
Meanwhile, Iran’s military spending decreased by 10 percent to reach $7.9 billion in 2024.
"The alternative is more instability and cross-border risk in a frontier where Lebanese and Syrian maps diverge in key ways,” analyst Aram Nerguizian told Breaking Defense.
The Rafael-made missile intercept platform is the lowest tier of Israel's multi-layered air defense system.
“The Department approved an exception to expend the $95 million of FMF recently reprogrammed to Lebanon. We are working with our DoD colleagues to move forward with the implementation of these funds,” a State Department Spokesperson told Breaking Defense Tuesday.
The Middle Eastern nation has used a siren system to warn of threats for decades, but the latest Gaza war saw several upgrades, an Israeli security official told Breaking Defense.
Given the demand from the IDF, the company was charged with keeping production up at normal or higher rates, despite the potential dangers of being so close to the border.
Foreign Military Financing is one of the pots of money caught up in the State Department's current hold on foreign assistance.
A key part of the ceasefire with Israel involves the LAF providing security in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces withdraw. Is it up to the task?
The new year brings much instability, and opportunity, to the region.
This year was dominated by the fallout of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, which expanded into Lebanon, but elsewhere the defense industry kept chugging along.
From eye-witness accounts of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon to a rare appearance of Iranian weapons at a foreign arms expo, there's a selection of Breaking Defense's Middle East coverage.
The deal calls for guns to go silent overnight, the eventual withdrawal of Israeli troops and the US and France's inclusion in a monitoring group.