- Yes
- No
TL;DR:
Coastal vessel, Libyan National Army Damen Stan patrol boat, “fitted” with a BMP-1 turret.
Overview:
After the collapse of the Gaddafi regime and start of the Libyan Civil War, Libya was effectively divided in two. The eastern half, based in Tobruk, and the (UN-recognized) western half based in Tripoli. The Tobruk-government and its associated Libyan National Army was unable to wrest control of the decimated Libyan navy. Instead, it was forced to convert civilian vessels into military use, sea technicals, if you will.
In 2012, it ordered 8 Damen Stan Patrol 1605 boats from the Damen Shipyards, of which 4 were delivered the same year, and the other 4 delivered in 2013. Like other vessels, these diminutive patrol boats were outfitted for war in around 2018. One was fitted with a twin 23mm autocannon, another with a twin 14.5mm MG and recoilless rifle combo, but the most peculiar one, likely the boat Izreg, was fitted with the turret of a BMP-1, on a flimsy looking and exposed frame at the bow of the boat. The ATGM rail is still visible, but it’s very unlikely to be still usable, and I’ll be honest I don’t even think the turret can actually rotate. The boat still existed in 2019, but its fate afterwards is unknown. Likely it is still operation with the Libyan National Army.
Specifications: (2018)
Armament:
1x1 73mm 2A28
1x1 12.7mm DShKDisplacement:
~24 tons standard
~26 tons fullLength: 16.15m
Beam: 5.4m
Draft: 0.85m
Propulsion: 2 Caterpiller C18 diesel engines, 1340 hp, driving 2 Rolls Royce FF 375S waterjets
Speed: 30 knots (55.6 km/h)
Range: unknown
Crew: ~6
Systems:
2 Furuno FR 1832 Mk 2 navigation radars
Images:
