Italian authorities made a shocking discovery when they seized containers marked as wind turbine parts but found disassembled Chinese-made military drones inside, intended for Libya’s General Haftar. These drones, known as Wing Loongs, were intercepted off southern Italy, potentially violating UN arms embargoes on Libya. The incident highlights covert efforts to arm factions in Libya’s ongoing conflict, where drones have become crucial. It also raises questions about international sanctions and Italy’s role in regional stability, amidst alliances with both Haftar and Libya’s UN-backed government.
As reported by The Warzone, in a peculiar turn of events, Italian officials confiscated Chinese-made Wing Loong drones off the coast of southern Italy, which were reportedly headed to Libya. The dismantled drones were found in packages labeled as holding wind turbine parts, indicating an attempt to avoid the United Nations arms embargo placed on Libya and deliver them to Libyan strongman General Khalifa Haftar.
On June 18, Italian officials detained three containers containing weaponry, including drones, as well as two drone control stations at the port of Gioia Tauro in southern Italy, according to the Times of London.
According to anonymous sources, the containers in question were confiscated after being unloaded off the cargo ship MSC Arina, which had arrived in the Mediterranean via China. It appears that the idea was to load the containers onto another vessel, which would then travel to Benghazi, Libya.
Meanwhile, Italian detectives seized three more questionable containers from another cargo ship, the MSC Apolline, that arrived in the same port last weekend.
Photos and videos that have since emerged demonstrate the depth of the attempts made to conceal the contents’ identities. Indeed, reports from Italy imply that the drone pieces were wrapped under protective coverings similar to those used to transport wind turbine blades.
The United States reportedly provided Italian officials with intelligence about the presence of the weapons. According to other reports from Italy, the containers were discovered as part of a routine search, which uncovered irregularities in the customs papers that accompanied them.
This was a planned attempt to disguise military equipment as civilian cargo, complete with fraudulent documentation, and it is unclear what course of action Italian authorities will pursue next. It is also unclear what if any, role the Chinese government played in the smuggling operation. They could have come from somewhere else, secondhand.
General Haftar, who leads the Libyan National Army (LNA), in control of the country’s east, appears to have received the drones — and possibly additional, unreported armaments — as part of the same shipments. Haftar has held power here since an attempt to seize the rest of the country came to an end in 2020. This came after fierce fighting with the Government of National Unity (GNA) forces during a civil war that had raged since the collapse of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The United Nations-backed GNA is now headquartered in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, with the country effectively divided into eastern and western regions, each with its government and armed forces.
Wing Loong drones, both Wing Loong I and Wing Loong II, have already been heavily used by the LNA in their struggle against the GNA.
In the past, the United Arab Emirates purportedly gave these Chinese-made drones to the LNA, with several accusations that the Emiratis were also in charge of operating the drones in the country.
The medium-altitude, long-endurance drones, similar to the US MQ-9 Reaper, have been frequently utilized. Several LNA-operated Wing Loongs have been lost along the way, including those shot down by the GNA, by airstrikes, by friendly fire, and in combat-related events.
The Wing Loong series was designed primarily for observation, but it can also be outfitted with air-to-ground armaments such as Blue Arrow-7 missiles, giving Haftar’s forces a significant striking capability. According to reports, the Italians seized shipments that did not contain drone weapons. With a normal range of roughly 1,000 miles and an endurance of about 20 hours, depending on payload and other parameters, the Wing Loong can roam throughout Libya.
Turkey began supplying the Bayraktar TB2 drone to the opposing GNA, presumably in retaliation to Wing Loong’s participation in the Libyan conflict. Despite having a smaller payload and shorter range than the Wing Loong, the TB2 swiftly became a vital part of the GNA’s inventory, serving as both an air strike and observation platform.
However, it appears that the United Arab Emirates is less willing to support the LNA, particularly its drone operations, following a high-profile incident in 2020 in which a Wing Loon operated with Emirati assistance reportedly struck a military academy in Tripoli, killing 26 cadets. The BBC’s investigation suggested that the weapon used was a Chinese-made Blue Arrow-7 missile.
Whatever the state of Emirati backing for LNA drone operations, the several losses reported so far would be sufficient motivation to acquire additional batches from China.
Meanwhile, it appears that China’s motive to sell drones to Libya is fueled by a want for Libyan oil. The Times of London says that two Libyans were charged in Canada in April after it was discovered that they were brokering a deal to transfer drones to the LNA in exchange for “millions of drums” of oil, according to a Canadian official.
While this would certainly violate the United Nations sanctions against Libya, which prohibit the export of oil and the import of arms, it would also put Italy in a tough predicament.
Italy, led by far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has sought to establish contacts with General Haftar and Prime Minister Dbeibah to collaborate on disrupting migratory routes from North Africa to Italy.
At the same time, Haftar has been getting closer to Russia, which has raised concerns in Washington. For Moscow, Haftar is becoming an important ally in North Africa, allowing Russian ships to offload armaments in the port of Tobruk, from which they can be sent to support Russian military activities and Moscow-backed troops across the continent.
Meanwhile, the standoff in Libya continues, with armed drones now widely recognized as a critical tool for both sides.
While the LNA and GNA began the civil war with fleets of combat aircraft, including Cold War-era French and Soviet-made planes, these have sustained significant casualties, and their present serviceability — as well as the availability of qualified personnel — is now called into doubt.
According to accounts, drones have filled the breach by carrying out thousands of airstrikes. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, United Nations Special Envoy Ghassan Salamé called the Libyan civil war “the largest drone war in the world.”
While Haftar’s offensive may have failed in 2020, the country remains deeply divided. Tensions remain, and they have the potential to restart the war.
Meanwhile, all sides are fully aware of the benefits that drones may offer, both for surveillance and strike, particularly over great distances. With this in mind, it’s certainly not surprising that Haftar’s soldiers would go to great lengths to obtain more of the valued Chinese-made Wing Loong.
Recently, GreatGameIndia reported that retired U.S. Army Major General John G. Ferrari warned that the U.S. military is dangerously reliant on China for crucial supplies, including parts for missiles and fighter jets.
