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Revision as of 08:50, 28 September 2011
| Historical military ranks of Egypt |
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The Armed Forces of Egypt are the largest on the African continent, in the Arab world and one of the largest in the world (ranked 10th)[citation needed], consisting of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptian Air Force and Egyptian Air Defense Command.
In addition, Egypt maintains large paramilitary forces.[2] The Central Security Forces, and the Border Guard Forces are under Ministry of the Interior control. The National Guard, comes under the control of the Ministry of Defence.
Overview
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the senior uniformed officer, is Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi and the Chief of General Staff is Lt. Gen. Sami Hafez Anan.
The Armed Forces' inventory includes equipment from different countries around the world . Equipment from the former Soviet Union is being progressively replaced by more modern American, French, and British equipment, a significant portion of which is built under license in Egypt, such as the M1 Abrams tank.
To bolster stability and moderation in the region, Egypt has provided military assistance and training to a number of African and Arab states. Although not a NATO member, Egypt remains a strong military and strategic partner and is a participant in NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue forum. The Egyptian military is one of the strongest in the region,[3] and gives Egypt regional military supremacy rivaled only by Israel,[4] besides being the strongest in Africa.[5] Egypt is one of the few countries in the Middle East with a reconnaissance satellite and has launched another one in 2007.[6]
The Armed Forces enjoy considerable power and independence within the Egyptian state.[7] They are also influential in business, engaging in road and housing construction, consumer goods, resort management,[7] and vast tracts of real estate. Much military information is not made publicly available, including budget information, the names of the general officers and the military’s size (which is considered a state secret).[7] According to journalist Joshua Hammer, "as much as 40% of the Egyptian economy" is controlled by the Egyptian military.[8]
Senior members of the military can convene for the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, so during the course of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, when Mubarak resigned and transferred power to this body on February 11, 2011.[9]
Army
The inventory of the Egyptian armed forces includes equipment from the United States, France, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the former Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China. Equipment from the former Soviet Union is being progressively replaced by more modern American, French, and British equipment, a significant portion of which is built under license in Egypt, such as the M1A1 Abrams tank which makes Egypt the owner of the second largest number of latest generation main battle tanks in the region after Israel, and the second after Syria in case of the older generations. Conscripts for the army and other service branches without a university degree serve three years as enlisted soldiers. Conscripts with a General Secondary School Degree serve two years as enlisted personnel. Conscripts with a university degree serve one year as enlisted personnel or three years as a reserve officer. Officers for the army are trained at The Egyptian Military Academy.
Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force or EAF is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. Currently, the backbone of the EAF is the F-16. The EAF (planes and pilot training) is considered to be the strongest in Africa and one of the strongest in the Middle East. The Mirage 2000 is the other modern interceptor used by the EAF. The Egyptian Air Force has 216 F-16s (plus 20 on order) making it the 4th largest operator of the F-16 in the World. It has about 579 combat aircraft and 149 armed helicopters as it continues to fly extensively upgraded MiG-21s, F-7 Skybolts, F-4 Phantoms, Dassault Mirage Vs, and the C-130 Hercules among other planes. The Air Force is undergoing massive modernization. Mikoyan confirmed that talks with Egypt are underway[when?] for the sale of 40 Mig-29SMT jet-fighters with a possible additional batch of 60-80 planes.
Air Defense Command
The Egyptian Air Defense Command or ADF (Quwwat El Diffaa El Gawwi in Arabic) is Egypt's military command responsible for air defense. Egypt patterned its Air Defense Force (ADF) after the Soviet Anti-Air Defenses, which integrated all its air defense capabilities – antiaircraft guns, rocket and missile units, interceptor planes, and radar and warning installations.
Its commander is Lieutenant General Abd El Aziz Seif-Eldeen.
Navy
Although the Egyptian Navy is the smallest branch of the military, it is large by Middle Eastern standards. The Egyptian Navy is known to be the strongest in the African continent, and the largest in the Middle East in spite of the rapid growth of other countries' navies within the region.
Some fleet units are stationed in the Red Sea, but the bulk of the force remains in the Mediterranean. Navy headquarters and the main operational and training base are located at Ras el Tin near Alexandria. The current commander is Vice Admiral Mohab Mamish.
The Navy also controls the Egyptian Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is responsible for the onshore protection of public installations near the coast and the patrol of coastal waters to prevent smuggling. it has an inventory consisting of about thirty five large patrol craft (each between twenty and thirty meters in length) and twenty smaller Bertram-class coastal patrol craft built in the United States.
See list of naval ships of Egypt for a list of vessels in service.
Government paramilitary agencies
Government paramilitary forces .Two agencies, the Central Security Forces and Border Guard Forces, are under the control of the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry of Defence controls the National Guard, which is mainly for ceremonials and parades, but also for the defence of the Presidential institution and the Capital.
Military schools
There is an undergraduate military school for each branch of the Egyptian Military establishment, and they include:
- Commanders & Staff Commanders College
- Reserve Officers College
- Nasser Academy for Military Science
- The Egyptian Military Academy
- The Egyptian Naval Academy
- The Egyptian Air Academy
- The Egyptian Air Defense Academy
- The Egyptian Military Technical College
- Technical Institude of the Egyptian Armed Forces
- Female Military Nursing Institude
Foreign military assistance
The United States of America provides annual military assistance to Egypt which amounted to US$1.3 billion in 2009 (inflation adjusted US$ 1.85 billion in 2024).[10] This level is second only to Israel.[11]
See also
References
- ^ "Defence budget (Egypt), Defence budget". Janes.com. December 30, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ IISS Military Balance 2007, p.223
- ^ title=Egypt%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia "Egypt". Britannica. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Missing pipe in:|url=(help) - ^ "The Egyptian Threat and the Prospects for War in the Middle East". NATIV. November, 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Global Diversity: Winning Customers and Engaging Employees Within World Markets. Intercultural Press. 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
- ^ "Egypt to launch first spy satelllite". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
- ^ a b c Cambanis, Thanassis (11 September 2010). "Succession Gives Army a Stiff Test in Egypt". New York Times. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ Egypt: Who Calls the Shots?(relevance?) Joshua Hammer| nybooks.com| 18 August 2011| (free online article not complete, does not include quoted portion).
- ^ Murdock, Heather (February 11, 2011). "Crowds rejoice as Egypt's Mubarak steps down, hands power to military". The Washington Times. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
- ^ "Scenesetter: President Mubarak's visit to Washington". US Department of State. 2009-05-19.
- ^ David Costello (February 1, 2011). "Nation locked in a deadly stalemate". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
Further reading
- Kenneth M. Pollack, Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness 1948-91, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London, 2002, and Pollack's book reviewed in International Security, Vol. 28, No.2.
External links
- Egyptian Armed Forces
- CIA World Factbook
- FAS
- GlobalSecurity
- Department of State, Academics see the military in decline, but retaining strong influence, 23 September 2009 (US Embassy Cables, The Guardian, 2011)
- Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, The New York Times, February 10, 2011
- Egypt's military leadership, Aljazeera English, February 11, 2011
