Background:

The Libyan Navy was established in November 1962.

The first warship was delivered in 1966.

The Navy has allways been the least of the services and has always been dependent on foreign sources for equipment, spare parts, and training.

The navy's primary mission is to defend the coast.

The previously separate customs and harbor police were joined with the navy in 1970.

Thus the mission was extended to include anti-smuggling and customs duties.

The Navy is a fairly typical small navy with few missile frigates, corvettes and patrol boats as the "fist" to defend a coastline. But as normal they have a very limited self defence capability.

The total personel of the navy is about 8000.

Actions:

The only hostile action has been the encounter with the American fleet in March 1986 in which one missile boat and a corvette were destroyed and others possibly damaged.

Ships: (2004 est)

Submarines:

Type: F class (Foxtrot, Type 641)

Operational:0

Length(meters)/Displacement(tons): 91/2,475

non-operational: 2

Armamament: 10x533mm torpedoes 44 mines

Combat Vessels:

Missile frigates:

Type: Koni class (Type 1159)

Operational:2

Length(meters)/Displacement(tons): 96.4/1,440

Armamament: 4xSS-N-2C Styx SSMs 2xSA-N-4 SAMs 4x76mm guns 4x30mm guns 4x406mm torpedoes 1xRBU 6000 A/S mortar 20 mines

Missile corvettes:

Type: Nanuchka class

Operational:2

Length(meters)/Displacement(tons): 59.3/660

Armamament: 4xSS-N-2C Styx SSMs 2xSA-N-4 SAMs 2x57mm guns MFPBs

MFPBs:

Type: Combattante II

Operational: 8

Length(meters)/Displacement(tons): 49.0/311

non-operational: 1

Armamament:4xOtomat SSMs 1x76mm gun 2x40mm guns

Type: Ossa II

Operational: 6

Length(meters)/Displacement(tons): 38.6/245

non-operational: 6

Armamament: 4xSS-N-2C Styx SSMs 4x30mm guns

Mine warfare vessel:

Type: Natya class minesweepers (Type 266ME)

Operational: 5

Length(meters)/Displacement(tons):61.0/804

non-operational: 4

Armamament:4x30mm guns 4x25mm guns 2xRBU 1200 A/S mortars 10 mines Acoustic & Magnetic sweep

In addition several auxilary and landing craft.

Naval Infrastructure:

Naval bases: Al-Khums , Benghazi, Misratah, Tobruk, Tripoli, Derna

Ship maintenance and repair facilities: Facilities at Tripoli with foreign technicians for repair of vessels of up to 6,000 dwt; a 3,200-ton lift floating dock; floating docks at Benghazi and Tobruk