Photo: military-today.com
Lebanon has requested Russia to supply the Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, T-72 main battle tanks and cannons. Beirut hopes to receive the military hardware within a year, the Sputnik News information website reported, citing Lebanese Ambassador to Russia Chawki Bou Nassar.
“Lebanon needs weapons to fight these people [terrorists], and especially the Russian rockets, there is one well known, Kornet, because Lebanon got some of the weapons and used them effectively, and is still working with the Russian side to provide these kinds of weapons… Kornet, and the cannons, and the tanks, T-72 tanks, although old — but Russia promised to renovate them and to update the systems in these tanks — and of course the shells for the cannons, ammunition,” the Ambassador said.
Nassar noted that the country would use these weapons against terrorist groups, such as the Daesh and the Nusra Front, jihadist militant organizations, on the Syrian border.
Earlier, Beirut was going to get French weapons for $3 billion worth. But, Saudi Arabia, which promised to provide a $3 billion aid package to the Lebanese Army for purchase of French weapons, has changed its decision and received by itself 200 armored vehicles that it ordered from France for the Lebanese Armed Forces.
