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THE FIGHT AGAINST ISIS
Lebanon’s armed forces began preparing for conflict with ISIS long before the battle began to approach the Lebanese side of the border. The war with ISIS terrorists started came to Lebanon in 2013 on its northern and northeastern borders. Luckily, the capabilities of the Air Force’s Combat Caravan arrived right on time to see decisive action. The Air Force was also able to use its SA/IAR 330 Pumas and SA342 Gazelles to fill the need for aerial support. Reconnaissance was provided by newly acquired Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) platforms the LAF were able to accurately mark strategic targets to maximize usage of their limited assets.
The targeted and strategic use of its air power allowed the LAF to bomb ISIS positions deep inside enemy territory. In the final operation of the battle, called Dawn of the Outskirts (Arabic: Fajr Al Jouroud), the LAF relentlessly bombed strategic targets for a week and were able to pave the way for Lebanese special forces and the Army to enter the area. The main portion of the battle was completed within one week thanks to the employment of LAF air power.
SUPER TUCANO ACQUISITION
While the fight with ISIS was still ongoing, the LAF began looking for other aerial weapons platforms that would assist in future conflicts. The LAF soon came to the conclusion that the A-29 Super Tucano was the right aircraft for the job at hand. The aircraft ultimately destined for Lebanon were manufactured in Brazil and then armed by the Sierra Nevada corporation in the United States. These A-29s were the first type of aircraft able to fire the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS). The APKWS is a design conversion of the Hydra 70 unguided rocket system but enhanced with a laser guidance kit to turn them into precision-guided munitions. The APKWS can also be launched on jet aircraft like the F-16 and from the Apache helicopter.