TAG delivers Terrier LT-79 to LNA, ahead of Tripoli’s decisive battle
The Armored Group (TAG) and its Libyan partner Ismail Al-Shtewi have supplied several Terrier LT-79 armored vehicles to the the Libyan National Army (LNA).
At least eight Terrier LT-79 armoured vehicles were seen in a video the group released on 9 December during a parade by the 106th Brigade Special Operations unit.
Despite the UN arms embargo in place in Libya, TAG which “specializes in developing and marketing armored vehicles in both the domestic United States and international markets,” supplied the vehicle to General Khalifa Haftar LNA.
When the crises began, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) established unanimously in Security Council Resolution 1970 sanctions against Libya including an open-ended embargo on the supply of arms and military equipment to and from Libya on 26 February 2011, . The sanctions were imposed in reaction to gross and systematic violation of human rights, including the repression of peaceful demonstrators by the Libyan government in the weeks preceding the sanctions.
In accordance to TAG’s manufacturing procedures, the delivered Terrier LT-79 armoured vehicles had no markings identifying their manufacturer or model type. However, they were fitted with protected weapon stations for 7.62 mm PKM-type machine guns.
The standard Terrier LT-79 armored personnel carrier which is based on a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 chassis can transport up to eight or ten soldiers depending on the size of operators and amount of gear.
“The Terrier LT-79 is a modern-era hybrid that combines the requirements needed for combat and fire support situations as well as mission-specific roles such as transport and logistics.”
The Armored Group (TAG),
With a NATO STANAG 4569 Level 1 in their basic configuration, it can withstand a 7.62×51 mm ball ammunition fired at a range of 30 m, as well as hand grenades and anti-personnel explosives. TAG says this can be increased to STANAG 4569 Level 2 with the addition of composites, providing protection from 7.62×39 mm armour-piercing rounds.
