As part of the UK package of support following the donation
of 100 RWMIK Land Rover vehicles in January, a team of
specialist UK soldiers has completed the first 4-week
package of training and mentoring for officers and soldiers
from all four Land Border Regiments.
During a visit to the Bekaa earlier this month, the Head of
the British Embassy, Dr. Martin Longden, and the UK Defence
Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa (DSAME)
Air Marshal Martin Sampson, saw first-hand the training of
Lebanese troops at a border post near Baalbek, operated by
the Fourth Land Border Regiment.
Over the past four weeks, a UK team of specialist soldiers
from the Pathfinders, part of the UK’s 16 Air Assault
Brigade; have trained 48 officers and soldiers from across
the Lebanese army’s four Land Border Regiments. The
training aims to provide skills to operate the RWMIK
vehicles in the rugged terrain of the Lebanese-Syrian
border, and enable them to project effectively into the
more remote areas of the frontier and to interdict
terrorist threats and illegal cross-border activity.
This is the first of a planned series of these training
packages, demonstrating the UK’s enduring commitment to
support the Lebanese army in securing its land border.
Head of the British Embassy Dr. Martin Longden said:
I was delighted, and proud, to see first-hand the
progress being made on this important agenda. The
cooperation and partnership between the UK’s Armed Forces
and the LAF, in support of the State’s capacity to
control the country’s borders, is a critical part of
Lebanon’s security, sovereignty and prosperity. We will
continue to do all we can to support this.
