Eastern Libyan forces parade new Russian equipment

A Tor short-range air-defence system follows a ZSU-23-4. It does not have the auxiliary power unit that protrudes from the rear of the Tor-M2 and Tor-M2E versions. (Libyan Arab Armed Forces)

The annual parade held by the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) – the faction that controls eastern and much of southern Libya – suggests that Russia has made significant deliveries of military equipment over the last year.

Held on 26 May, the televised parade included several Russian-made systems that have not been seen in previous LAAF parades, most notably two Tor short-range air-defence systems and two 300 mm BM-30 Smerch multiple rocket launchers.

The Tors looked like the Tor-M1-2U system, a modernised version of the Tor-M1 that was delivered to Russian forces before the Tor-M2 entered production. They differed from the Tor-M2 and the Tor-M2Es that Egypt received as they did not have auxiliary power units that hang over their rear on the right side. An aerial shot also showed that their missile hatches open to the back and front, like those on the Tor-M1-2U and Tor-M2E, but not the Tor-M2, where they open to the sides.

There are multiple operators of the BM-30, potentially including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which supports the LAAF and reportedly received six BM-30s, although this remains unconfirmed.