On 28 June, a delegation of US Congress members visited Libya, starting in Benghazi. The delegation was led by Congressman Austin Scott, along with US Congressmen Jimmy Panetta and Salud Carbajal, and US Charge d’Affaires in Libya Jeremy Berndt. In Benghazi they met with Deputy Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Saddam Haftar, Chief of Staff Khaled Haftar and Talal Al-Mihoub, chairman of the House of Representatives’ (HoR) Defense and National Security Committee.
The LNA said the discussions focused on enhancing military coordination and supporting efforts to unify Libya’s armed forces to help promote security, stability and peace. Saddam Haftar said the visit reflected continued US support for military unification efforts, praising cooperation between US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and military leaders in both eastern and western Libya.
Building on the success of Exercise Flintlock 2026, it was agreed that Libya would host the main phase of Exercise Flintlock 2027. Additionally, work will commence on establishing a joint military operations centre in Sirte—comprising military personnel from both the east and west of the country—to enhance coordination and integration among the various units. The General Command also affirmed its intention to establish a unified Libyan air command in cooperation with counterparts in western Libya, alongside the creation of a national centre of excellence for air force training at the Air Academy in Misrata, designed to serve the entire nation.
The US delegation then travelled to Misrata, meeting with Government of National Unity (GNU) Deputy Minister of Defence Abdussalam al-Zoubi. According to the GNU Ministry of Defence, Zoubi said he expressed his appreciation for the partnership between the US and Libyan leaders. The Congressional delegation affirmed that the success of the Flintlock 2026 exercise demonstrated the serious commitment of the Ministry of Defense and military leaders to overcoming differences and divisions, unifying the Libyan military institution, and building a defense partnership between Libya and the United States.
The MoD statement then outlined the same points as the LNA statement, namely hosting Flintlock 2027 in Libya, initiating a joint operations centre and forming a unified Libyan air command alongside a Libyan Airforce centre of excellence in Misrata.