Click to see full-size image. (Libyan National Army)
The Libyan National Army (LNA) showcased for the first time the Russian-made Tor-M2E air medium-altitude, short-range defense system on May 27, just a day after parading the older version of the system, the M1E, with other advanced weapons in its stronghold, the city of Benghazi.
The Tor-M2E appeared as LNA Commander-in-Chief Marshal Khalifa Haftar was inaugurating a state-of-the-art military training center.
The Military City of Marshal Khalifa Haftar lies across 6,463 hectares to the west of Benghazi. With a capacity for 65,000 troops, the center is considered one of the largest in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The inauguration was attended by senior Libyan officials, including Aguila Saleh, the head of the House of Representatives (HoR) and a key ally of Hafter. Interestingly Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, who attended the parade in Benghazi a day earlier, was also present.
The LNA’s new training center includes different sanctions which were apparently equipped to train officers, paratroopers and special forces on everything, from drones, to anti-tank guided weapons, air defenses, ground vehicles and even aircraft.
Click to see full-size image. (Libyan National Army)
Click to see full-size image. (Libyan National Army)
Click to see full-size image. (Libyan National Army)
Click to see full-size image. (Libyan National Army)
Click to see full-size image. (Libyan National Army)
Click to see full-size image. (Libyan National Army)
Click to see full-size image. (Libyan National Army)
The Tor-M2E was, however, the biggest surprise to come out of the inauguration. The system is a deeply upgraded version of the Soviet-era Tor-M1E.
This version has an improved fire control radar coverage and protection against spoofing. It can also engage up to four targets simultaneously.
The system can be armed with eight of the older 9M331 missiles or 16 of the latest 9M338 missiles. The first missile has a range of 12 kilometers and an altitude of 6 kilometers, while the second can engage targets from 16 kilometers with a ceiling of 10 kilometers despite being more compact. Both missiles are guided via radio command.
It is still unclear how many Tor systems are in service with the LND, and if they were indeed supplied by Russia as speculated by many observers. Egypt, another key backer of the military, also operates both the M1E and M2E versions of the system.
Libya plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The country is now split between the Government of National Unity (GNU) in the capital, Tripoli, in the west, which is supported by a cluster of militia groups with Turkish-backed Syrian mercenaries, and a rival government based in Benghazi in the east, backed by the LNA and HoR.
The GNU has been struggling to keep its militias at bay for the last few years. Meanwhile, the LNA has been organizing and arming like never before.
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it’s too bad the ‘superior’ western air defense systems seem to regularly disappear in ukraine for some reason. and there are no more interceptors for them anyway. but don’t worry, by destroying its own industry, europe will be able to not produce anything anytime soon. and in the us , it’s all about making at lot of money, not effectiveness. the future of ukraine looks bright. /s
the same fate will follow libya as in syria. don’t put too much reliance onto russia flaky support, spread to china, or even the us.
libya has gone to the dark side . if the people rise in self determination . the israeli drones will genocide them . if a leader rises from the masses they will only die , often under mysterious circumstance . cia / mossad / mafia / banker playbook
(sniff sniff sniff)…my farts are fucking awesome!
when you have a look at this impersonator, you directly understand how the ukrainian supermen obviously understand how superior they are. it is not given to everybody to smear feces on everything when you lose. and as stealthly as possible of course, because when you are a loser, you cannot be half a loser. you have to go 100% in.
imagine having to use ruzzian worthless weapons 😆😆😆