Libyan Navy
The Libyan Navy (Arabic: قوات البحرية الليبية) is the naval warfare branch of the Libyan Armed Forces. Established in November 1962, Libyan Navy has been 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.
| Libyan Navy | |
|---|---|
| القوات البحرية الليبية | |
Seal of the Libyan Navy | |
| Active | November 1962 – present |
| Country | Libya |
| Allegiance | Government of National Unity (pro-GNU) House of Representatives (pro-HoR) Formerly Government of National Accord |
| Branch | Libyan Armed Forces |
| Type | Navy |
| Size | 15,000 personnel |
| Headquarters | Tripoli (Libyan Army) Tobruk (Libyan National Army) |
| Equipment | 1 frigate 1 corvette 1 missile boat 2 minesweepers 2 landing crafts |
| Engagements | Action 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 Chief | Mohamed al-Menfi |
| Chief of Naval Staff | Abdul Hakim Abu Hawliyeh (pro-GNU)(formerly pro-GNA) Admiral Faraj al-Mahdawi (pro-HoR) |
| Notable commander | Commander Rida Issa (pro-GNU) (formerly pro-GNA) |
| Insignia | |
| Flag | |
| Ensign | |
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.