France will start delivering military equipment and weapons to Lebanese army first quarter 2015 0711.

The agreement was signed on November 4 during a ceremony in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in the presence of French, Lebanese and Saudi officials.

The deal will involve about 20 French companies and cover a mix of land, sea and air equipment, including armored vehicles, heavy artillery, anti-tank missiles, mortars and assault weapons, the source said

The military equipment and armoured vehicles military equipment that will be delivered by France to the Lebanese armed forces include vehicle-mounted Mistral short-range air-defence systems, 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, surplus VBC-90 armoured combat vehicles, CAESAR 155mm self-propelled howitzers, Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar helicopters, and Combattante FS56 fast attack long range craft armed with the Simbad air-defence systems and 20 mm Narwhal guns.

Intelligence and surveillance material, including drones, would also be sent and Paris would provide lightly-armed armed patrol boats as well as combat and transport helicopters, the source told Reuters.

Saudi Arabia sees itself as the defender of Sunni Islam in the region and wants to help beef up Lebanese security forces in the face of threats from both the jihadis and Lebanon's powerful Shi'ite movement Hezbollah.

Saudi Arabia, which has already provided $1 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army, has recently taken part in U.S.-led air strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria militants.