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Rear Admiral (RAdm) (ret.) Joseph Sarkis retired from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) after a 37-year career, during which he held a variety of command and staff positions, including most recently, Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning (DCoS-P) from August 2017 to December 2019.
In his role as LAF DCoS-P, RAdm. Sarkis was responsible for strategic planning, to include capability development, of human, material, financial resources, and versatile operational issues, to cover maritime security, border protection (land and sea) developing and establishing concepts, doctrine, and metrics to measure effectiveness. He led the strategic dialogue between LAF and the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon for the implementation of UNSCR 1701.
Before DCoS-P, he was the Naval Assistant to the LAF DCoS-Operations from June 2012 to July 2017 and commanded LAF Naval Operations from August 2004 to June 2012. During that time, he led successful joint efforts countering smuggling attempts and facilitating emergency relief assistance, search and rescue, and recovery at sea, in addition to the delimitation of Lebanon’s maritime boundaries, and drafting national laws related to sovereign maritime rights.
He commanded the Naval Task Group dedicated to the protection of the Arab League summit, and the Francophone summit in Beirut, and negotiated arrangements with the United Nations Department of Peace Keeping Operations (UNDPKO) on the status and concept of operations for the Maritime Task Force-UNIFIL related to the implementation of the UNSCR 1701.
He was honored with numerous national and international commendations and awards for outstanding leadership, academic achievements, and assigned professional duties.
Leading a Resilient Lebanese Armed Forces Through Crises and for the Long Run
Repeated crises in Lebanon, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the need for resilience in the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). Amid the current acute economic and financial crisis facing the country, there are warning signs about the LAF’s incapacity to continue, as the resources at its disposal and popular confidence in its effectiveness have both been degraded. In light of the current challenges and those that may lie ahead, the LAF needs to become more resilient, able to both adapt and strengthen as an organization, while also ensuring public security, the conditions of its personnel, and its own long-term status.
Defense Rapid Reaction: The threat of armed drones
As unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology becomes ever cheaper and more accessible, the threat of armed and GPS-guided drones is becoming a serious problem for U.S. forces in theater. In the past few months, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have used small drones armed with explosives to attack Iraqi military bases housing U.S. forces several times, and the threat posed by such UAVs is only likely to grow in the months and years to come. Experts from MEI’s Defense & Security Program weigh in with their thoughts on how the U.S. should respond to this emerging threat, as part of the new Defense Rapid Reaction series.
Lebanese maritime security: Navigating rough seas with good policy
Lebanon has a coastline of 120 nautical miles (NM) along the eastern Mediterranean and an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that encompasses an area of 5000 square nautical miles (SNM). While this wide expanse presents many opportunities, it also represents a pressing security challenge for the Lebanese Navy and the region in general.
