Armed group profile · SD Strength Index
Libyan National Army (Haftar): military strength 2026
How strong is the Libyan National Army in 2026?
The LNA controls eastern Libya, most of the south including Sabha, and central Libya as far as Jufra and Sirte. That gives it the country's borders with Egypt, Sudan, Chad and Niger. No other Libyan force holds as much ground or answers to a single command.
On the Silent Dossier index it sits behind Sudan's RSF and Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, and ahead of al-Shabaab. Its fighting record is ageing. The last big campaign was the failed 2019 to 2020 offensive on Tripoli, and since the 2020 ceasefire the LNA has mostly run internal security and southern border operations.
How much of Haftar's army is professional?
Less than its name implies. The only sourced figure for trained regulars is about 7,000, from 2019. The core has grown since around the 106th Brigade and the Tariq Ben Zeyad Brigade, with Pakistani, Italian and Russian training reported, so Silent Dossier puts it at 7,000 to 25,000. The upper bound is a judgement.
The rest, an estimated 10,000 to 50,000, are tribal auxiliaries, Madkhali-Salafi units and southern militias. Roughly 40 to 60 per cent of the whole force is estimated to be irregular. Loyalty runs to the family more than the institution: Saddam Haftar became deputy commander in August 2025 and his brother Khaled chief of staff.
What weapons and aircraft does the LNA have?
Its armour is old Libyan army T-55, T-62 and T-72 tanks of doubtful serviceability, plus MRAPs supplied by the UAE. Grad rocket launchers were used in the Tripoli offensive. Pantsir-S1 air defence systems came via the UAE in 2019 and 2020, and Turkish drones destroyed several of them. No current count exists for any of these.
Silent Dossier estimates 20 to 60 aircraft: legacy MiG-21, MiG-23, Mirage F1 and Su-22 jets and Mi-24, Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters, few of them in good order. The MiG-29s at bases used by Russia are under Russian control and are not counted. Satellite imagery in April 2026 showed one Chinese Feilong-1 and two drones that were probably Bayraktar TB2s at Al Khadim airbase. Who flies them is unknown, and more may exist. Saddam Haftar has talked up the LNA's drone strength in public. The LNA has no confirmed missile strike capability.
What is in Haftar's arms deal with Pakistan?
In December 2025 a deal with Pakistan worth a reported $4bn or more came to light, despite the UN arms embargo on Libya. Draft figures list 16 JF-17 fighters and 12 Super Mushshak trainers, delivered over about two and a half years. If the jets arrive and the LNA can crew and maintain them, they will be the first modern fighters in its fleet. None has been confirmed delivered.
Who backs Haftar's forces?
The backer list is unusually broad: the UAE, Egypt, Russia and Pakistan, and since 2025 Turkey too, which fought against Haftar in 2020. Russia's Africa Corps uses bases in LNA territory, and building work continued at six air bases in 2026. At Brak al-Shati alone, Russian personnel have risen from about 300 to about 450 since December 2024.
Money comes from eastern oil revenue, the eastern government's budget, the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund and trade in the south. The LNA is also alleged to let supplies reach Sudan's RSF across the border. The Sudanese army accused it of joining an RSF attack in the border triangle in June 2025, which the LNA denies.
How does the LNA compare with the Tripoli forces?
The Tripoli side is a coalition of rival armed groups. Silent Dossier puts it at an indicative 20,000 to 50,000 fighters, mostly city and neighbourhood militias on the state payroll, with the 444 Brigade, trained by Turkey, the most capable unit. Those groups fought each other in August 2023 and again in May 2025. In 2019 and 2020 their strikes at range came from drones operated by Turkey.
The LNA has one chain of command, more heavy weapons and more ground, which is why it ranks well ahead. Turkey is the counterweight. Its intervention reversed Haftar's offensive in 2020, and its troop mandate in Libya now runs to 2028.
Key figures
| Fighters | 25k–85k | C |
| Full-time trained core | 7,000–25k | C |
| Reservists and irregulars | 10k–50k | C |
| Ballistic missiles | ~0 | C |
| Cruise and anti-ship missiles | ~0 | C |
| Longest strike range (km) | 300–1,500 | C |
| Drones | 3–10 | B |
| Aircraft | 20–60 | C |
A confirmed B strong estimate C estimated range
Main weapons
| Feilong-1 (FL-1) | 1 | B |
| Bayraktar TB2 (likely) | 2 | B |
| Wing Loong II | — | B |
| JF-17 Thunder | 16 | C |
| Super Mushshak | 12 | C |
| MiG-21/23, Mirage F1, Su-22, Mi-24/35 (legacy) | — | C |
| Pantsir-S1 | — | B |
| MRAPs / armoured SUVs | — | B |
| T-55/T-62/T-72 tanks | — | C |
Assessment
| Firepower | 3/5 | |
| Cohesion and command | 3/5 | |
| Outside support | 4/5 | |
| Combat experience | 3/5 | |
| Professionalism | 3/5 |
Backers. United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia
Ground. It controls eastern Libya, most of the south including Sabha, and much of central Libya including Jufra and Sirte, along with the borders with Egypt, Sudan, Chad and Niger.
Professional or irregular. Commanded by the Haftar family, its core brigades, trained abroad, include the 106th and Tariq Ben Zeyad, with an estimated 7,000 to 25,000 regulars. Roughly half the force is local, tribal or Madkhali-Salafi militia, and loyalty runs to the family rather than to institutions.
What changed in 2026
Questions readers ask
How many soldiers does Haftar have?
Silent Dossier estimates 25,000 to 85,000 fighters; no independent count has been made since 2020. Only 7,000 to 25,000 are trained regulars, and an estimated 40 to 60 per cent of the force is militia.
Who supports Khalifa Haftar?
The UAE, Egypt, Russia and Pakistan, with Turkey moving closer since 2025. Russia's Africa Corps operates from air bases in LNA territory.
Does the Libyan National Army have an air force?
Yes, an estimated 20 to 60 old jets and helicopters of low serviceability. It has ordered 16 JF-17 fighters from Pakistan, none confirmed delivered, and satellite imagery in 2026 showed at least three armed drones at one of its bases.
Is Haftar stronger than the Tripoli government?
Yes. The LNA has a single command, more territory and heavier weapons than the rival militias aligned with Tripoli. The Tripoli side's real strength is Turkish backing, which reversed Haftar's offensive in 2020.
What does the Libyan National Army control?
Eastern Libya, most of the south including Sabha, and central Libya including Jufra and Sirte. That covers Libya's borders with Egypt, Sudan, Chad and Niger.