Rocket event in Libya on Fri 27th March 2020

On 27 March 2020, the Prime Minister, Faiez Serraj, announced the commencement of Operation PEACE STORM,46 which moved GNA-AF to the offensive along the coastal littoral. The combination of the Gabya-class frigates and Korkut short-range air defence systems provided a capability to place a mobile air defence bubble around GNA-AF ground units, which took HAF air assets out of the military equation. The enhanced operational intelligence capability included Turkish-operated signal intelligence and the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance provided by Bayraktar TB-2 and probably TAI Anka S unmanned combat aerial vehicles (see annex 27). This allowed for the development of an asymmetrical war of attrition designed to degrade HAF ground unit capability. The GNA-AF breakout of Tripoli was supported with Firtina T155 155mm self-propelled guns (see annex 28) and T-122 Sakarya multi-launch rocket systems (see annex 29) firing extended range precision munitions against the mid-twentieth century main battle tanks and heavy artillery used by HAF. Logistics convoys and retreating HAF were subsequently hunted down and remotely engaged by the unmanned combat aerial vehicles or the lethal autonomous weapons systems such as the STM Kargu-2 (see annex 30) and other loitering munitions. The lethal autonomous weapons systems were programmed to attack targets without requiring data connectivity between the operator and the munition: in effect, a true “fire, forget and find” capability. The unmanned combat aerial vehicles and the small drone intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability of HAF were neutralized by electronic jamming from the Koral electronic warfare system.47