Members of the Lebanese Armed Forces and Iraqi Armed Forces conduct explosive ordnance disposal training during exercise Resolute Union 2023 in Jounieh Bay, Lebanon, July 10, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Jensen Guillory)
This report was updated 7/10/23 at 3:06pm ET to include comment from a Lebanese navy chief Adm. Haissam Dannaoui.
BEIRUT — Lebanese naval forces today kicked off their largest ever maritime exercise Resolute Union in cooperation with US Naval Forces Central Command, NAVCENT, and with several new participating nations.
“The exercise aims to enhance the capabilities of the naval forces and participating units, and activate cooperation, coordination and exchange of experiences in the fields of: landing operations, surveillance and control, diving, destruction of ammunition, search and rescue, interception and inspection of ships,” according to the Lebanese armed forces statement issued today.
Resolute Union exercises have been doing on for 23 years between Lebanon and the US, but this year’s drill is, for the first time, Lebanese led and will not include the participation of US naval assets. US personnel have arrived to the country, however, to participate as observers or trainers.
“Today, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command began a nine-day exercise with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), called Resolute Union. This is a multilateral annual event that this year also plans to include participation from Egypt, France, Iraq, Jordan and the United Kingdom,” Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the US Naval Forces Central Command, US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, told Breaking Defense. “In essence, LAF personnel will carry out the operational procedures during training scenarios to practice as a team and enhance their maritime capabilities in key areas.”
The key areas, he said, include “maritime awareness, operations, command and control, force protection and infrastructure defense,” Hawkins said.
The maritime exercise is taking place at Jounieh Naval base to the north of Beirut, and will see the cooperation of naval forces as well as naval and air force assets in a number of drills.
Hawkins said that the Lebanese partners are highly capable, and this exercise is a great opportunity to observe the progress they’ve made as force. “Working together enhances regional maritime security and stability,” he said.
Alongside Lebanese navy and air force, teams from the participating countries are: a Jordanian Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) team, an Iraqi Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, an Egyptian Diving Team, NAVCENT and Royal Marine Commandos VBSS Team.
Resolute Union 2023, includes more than 100 people with nearly 20 of them from the US, according to Hawkins.
“The supporting U.S. cohort includes experts for explosive ordnance disposal, civil affairs, maritime security, maritime law, joint planning and amphibious operations. Exercise drills will relate to these areas,” he said.
Lebanese navy chief Adm. Haissam Dannaoui told Breaking Defense that part of Lebanon’s training would include the “Naval Forces Observation and Warning Battalion [participating] through the advanced radar network that monitors the territorial waters and monitors suspicious boats over a large period of time. The Hydrography Department is taking part of the drill, by monitoring suspicious objects underwater using advanced monitoring devices.”
Naval ships of different sizes are taking place in the exercise, including Lebanese Navy Ships LNS Trablous and Tabarja, and LCS Damour as well as smaller boats like patrol boats and RHIBS rigid-hulled inflatable boats. Air force assets include the Cessna, Super Tucano, Puma helicopters and AB212 helicopters as well as surveillance drones.
Members of the Lebanese Armed Forces and Iraqi Armed Forces conduct explosive ordnance disposal training during exercise Resolute Union 2023 in Jounieh Bay, Lebanon, July 10, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Jensen Guillory)
Dannaoui said the exercise is of “utmost importance to the naval forces through realistic scenarios that simulate current and future challenges faced by the naval forces to maintain maritime security and safety with the approaching start of oil exploration.”
He especially highlighted search and rescue operations and said the Lebanese navy is building an advanced search and rescue center to preserve the safety of lives at sea in light of the increasing risks of illegal immigration across the Mediterranean.
Retired Lebanese Army Brig. Gen. Maroun Hitti, who served as the director of operations and the deputy chief of staff for planning, also said the drill was “of utmost importance,” but he focused on how it “highlights the interoperability between the participating nations, which is included in all aspects of the drills.”
Ross Stroebel a maritime advisor for the Lebanese navy, told Breaking Defense it is “great to see countries like Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, which have similar challenges, come together under the auspices of US, with support from UK and France and other partners, to be able to collectively learn from each other, and hopefully take these lessons and apply them on their own situation.
Hitti also noted that timing of the drill was “very important as Lebanon will start drilling for oil and gas off the coast at the beginning of September, hence raising the operational readiness of the naval forces at this time is crucial,” said Hitti. Last year the US brokered a deal settling a maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel, which paved the way for the the drilling project.
Lebanese armed forces held a two-day conference late May, titled Border and Vital Installations Security Symposium, which highlighted the importance of enhancing maritime security and installations ahead of the drilling processes.
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