Egyptian Armed Forces
1. Order of battle
2. Overview
3. Defence economics
4. State of military forces
5. Country threat reports
6. Major external deployments
- Order of Battle
Total Force Strength |
Army: 300 000 (~240 000 conscripts) (~320 000 reserves) Air Defence Forces: 80 000 Air Force: 30 000 (10 000 conscripts) (20 000 reserves) Navy: 16 000 (10 000 conscripts) (20 000 reserves) Paramilitary: – Coast Guard (2 000) – Frontier Corps (6 000) – Central Security (325 000) – National Guard (60 000) – Border Guard (12 000) |
Army | |
Main Battle Tanks (MBT, Tanks) |
~1200: M-1A1 Abrams ~300: M-60A1 Patton-2 (Majority stored) ~850: M-60A3 Patton-2 (~500 stored) 850: T-54 (Majority stored) 700: T-55 (Majority stored, 260 possibly upgraded to Ramses II) 500: T-62 (Majority stored) 20: T-80U 14: T-80UK 500: T-90 (on order, to be assembled in Egypt) |
Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) |
200: BMP-1S 57: YPR-765 (AIFV-APC) 541: YPR-765-PRI (AIFV) |
Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC, ambulance, support) |
227: BMR-600 10: BMR-600 (Ambulance) ~380: BTR-40 500: BTR-50PKM 200: BTR-60PB ~1000: BTR-152 (Walid, majority stored) 468: Caiman II MRAP 1280: Fahd 10: Gurkha 100: HMMWV M-1114 ~1979: M113A2 51: M-992 (Field Artillery Ammunition Support) 72: M-992 (Fire Direction Centre Vehicle) 26: M-981 FISTV (Fire Support Team Vehicle) 2: MT-LB 14: Mamba 12: MaxxPro 250: OT-62A TOPAS 200: OT-64C 1600: Panthera T6 (900 on order, some for police) 260: RG-33L 90: RG-33L HAGA (Ambulance) 173: Sherpa 18: Sherpa (Police) 60: Terrier LAU (Kader-120) 90: YPR-765-PRV (AIFV-TOW, cargo) |
Command Post carrier/vehicle |
13: BMR-600 CP 61: M-577 CP 12: M-577A1 45: M-577A2 CP 7: M-981 artillery CP 6: YPR-765-PRCO-B (AIFV, company commander) 79: YPR-765-C (AIFV-APC, battalion commander) |
Reconnaissance AV |
100: BRDM-2 112: Commando Scout |
Armoured Recovery Vehicles |
43: M-578 234: M-88A1 87: M-88A2 HERCULES |
Self-propelled multiple rocket launcher, mobile surface-to-surface missile launcher, tank destroyer) |
9: 9P117/Scud-B TEL 40: BM-13 132mm 30: BM-14 140mm 245: BM-21 Grad 122mm (BM-11 version) 48: BM-24 240mm (Stored) 24: Luna/FROG 50: M-51 130 mm 182: M-901 ITV (Tank destroyer) 38: M-270 MLRS 227mm 210: YPR-765-PRAT (AIFV-TOW, tank destroyer) |
Towed gun |
16: 155-GH-52 155 mm (155 EH-52) 100: BS-3 100mm ~200: D-30 122mm 200: M-30 122mm 250: M-46 130mm 100: T-12 100mm/2A19 400: Type-59-1M 130 mm 50: S-23 180mm 48: SM-4-1B 130mm |
Self-propelled gun |
164: M-109A2 201: M-109A2/M-109A3 200: M-109A5 155mm 124: M-109/SP-122 122mm |
Mortar |
48: YPR-765-PRMR (AIFV, mortar tractor) 48: MO-120-RT 120mm (Mortar, for use with YPR-765 PRMR) 250: M-43 120mm (PM-43) 50: M-160 160mm 85: M-125 81mm (Mortar carrier) 15: M-106 (Self-propelled mortar) 79: M-106A1 (Self-propelled mortar) ~5: M-106A2 (Mortar carrier) |
Surface-to-air system, air defence system) |
18: 2K12 Kvadrat/SA-6A 1: 9K37 Buk-1M/SA-11 50: Avenger (Mobile AD system) 1: Buk-M2/SA-17 16: Crotale 7: IRIS-T SL 20: I-HAWK 181: M-48 Chaparral (Mobile SAM system) 38: S-75 Dvina/SA-2 30-40: S-125 Pechora-2M 45: S-125M/SA-3B 3: S-300VM/SA-23 18: Skyguard (Amount, AD system) 8: Tor-M1/SA-15 (Mobile SAM system, 4 possibly Tor-M2) |
Anti-air gun, self-propelled anti-air gun |
36: GDF-003 35 mm (part of Skyguard/Amoun) 66: M-167 Vulcan ~40: ZSU-57-2 200: ZSU-23-4 Shilka |
Surface-to-air missile (SAM), anti-tank missile |
750: 3M9/SA-6 ~500: 3M6 Shmel/AT-1 (anti-tank missile) 500: 3M11/9M17/AT-2 40: 9M82M/SA-23A (for S-300VM SAM systems) 200: 9M338/SA-15 100: 9M317/SA-17 Grizzly (for Buk-1M/SA-11 SAM system) 150: 9M83M/SA-23B (for S-300VM SAM systems) 580: 9M113 Konkurs/AT-5 (For Fahd) 4800: 9M14M/AT-3 300: AIM-7M Sparrow (for Skyguard) 1856: BGM-71 TOW 555: BGM-71 TOW (for use with YPR-765/AIFV armoured vehicles) 1282, 2400 or 4000: BGM-71C ITOW 3500 (could be 7511): BGM-71D TOW-2 695: BGM-71D TOW-2 or BGM-71E TOW-2A 2372: BGM-71E TOW-2A 8956: BGM-71 TOW-2A 600: FIM-92 Stinger (for Avenger) 600: FIM-92C Stinger (for Avenger) 100: FIM-92A Stinger 164: FIM-92 Stinger 2880: HOT (for SA-342L) ?: IRIS-T SLM (for IRIS-T SL SAM system) 600: Igla-S/SA-24 ~4000: MILAN 450: MIM-72F Chaparral 150: MIM-23B HAWK 432: MIM-72H Chaparral 180: MIM-23B HAWK 1000: MIM-23B HAWK 1072: MIM-72E Chaparral 200: MIM-72E Chaparral 500: MIM-23B HAWK 139: RIM-116B Block-1A 500: R-440 Crotale (for Crotale SAM) 40: R-17 Elbrus/Scud-B (Ballistic) 22: RIM-66B Standard-1MR 10 000: Strela-2/SA-7 9000: Swingfire 750: V-750/SA-2 (for SA-2 SAM systems) ~240: V-750/SA-2 (Tayir as Sabah) 1600: V-601/SA-3B |
Structure |
2: Field Army HQs 3: Military Zones 4: Armoured divisions (each with 2 tank brigades, 1 mechanised brigade, 1 artillery brigade and 1 air-defence brigade) 7: Mechanised infantry divisions (each with 2 mechanised infantry brigades, 1 tank brigade, 1 artillery brigade and 1 air defence brigade) 1: infantry division (3 infantry brigades, 1 artillery brigade and 1 air defence brigade) 4: independent mechanised brigades (2 Republican Guards) 3: independent infantry brigades 3: airborne brigades (1 parachute, 2 airmobile) 14: artillery brigades (each with 3 artillery battalions, 1 heavy motor company and 1 air defence company) 2: SSM brigades (SCUDs) 9: commando groups |
Air Force | |
Combat/multi-role/trainer aircraft: |
30: Alpha Jet MS-1 (trainer/combat) 15: Alpha Jet MS-2 (trainer/combat) 150: Bu-181 Bestmann (trainer) 54: EMB-312 Tucano (trainer) 5: F-4E Phantom-2 (2 preserved, fighter-bomber) 90: F-6/J-6 (fighter) 110: F-7B/J-7II (fighter) ~34: F-16 Block-15 (fighter) 34: F-16 Block-32 (fighter) 80: F-16 Block-40 (fighter) ~7: F-16B (fighter) 1: F-16B Block-15 (fighter) ~21: F-16C (fighter) 16: F-16C Block-52 (fighter) ~42: F-16D (fighter) 5: F-16D Block-40 (fighter) ~74: G-115EG (trainer) 6: Ha-200B Saeta (preserved, trainer) 120: K-8E Karakorum-8 (trainer/combat) 120: L-29 Delfin (trainer) 10: L-39Z Albatros (trainer/combat) 49: L-59E (trainer/combat) 14: MiG-15 (6 preserved, fighter) 1: MiG-17F (stored, 1 preserved, fighter) 2: MiG-19 (preserved, fighter) 2: MiG-19S (preserved, fighter) 33: MiG-21F-13 (7 preserved, fighter) 8: MiG-21MF (1 preserved, fighter) 1: MiG-23BN (preserved, fighter/ground attack) 39: MiG-29M2 (multi-role) 16: Mirage-5E2 (attack) 6: Mirage-5SB (trainer) 54: Mirage-5SDE (fighter/bomber) 4: Mirage-2000BM (trainer) 16: Mirage-2000EM (multi-role) 16: Rafale-DM (two-seat, multi-role) 8: Rafale-EM (single-seat, multi-role) 5: Su-35 (19 on order, multi-role) 5: Su-20 (preserved, fighter-bomber) 4: Su-7B (preserved, fighter, ground-attack) 1: T-6 Texan (stored, trainer) 3: Yak-18A (preserved, trainer) 6: Z-226 (trainer) |
Aircraft missiles: |
1000: 9A1472 Vikhr/AT-16 (for Ka-52K helicopters) 1000: 9M120 Ataka/AT-9 (for Ka-52K helicopters) 500: AASM (for Rafale aircraft) 70: AIM-7E 70: AIM-7E Sparrow (F-4E combat aircraft) 553: AIM-7M Sparrow (for F-16C) 100: AIM-9E Sidewinder 150: AIM-9L/I Sidewinder 1210: AIM-9L Sidewinder (for F-16) 5000: AIM-9J/P Sidewinder (AIM-9P3 & AIM-9P4) 314: AIM-9M Sidewinder 414: AIM-9M-2 Sidewinder 250: AIM-9P 600: AGM-65 Maverick (for F-16) 80: AGM-65 Maverick (for F-16, AGM-65D and AGM-65G) 600: AGM-65A 144: AGM-65D Maverick (for F-16C aircraft) 274: AGM-65G Maverick (air-to-surface) 32: AGM-84 Harpoon (for F-16 aircraft) 492: AGM-114A HELLFIRE (for Apaches) 1283: AGM-114K HELLFIRE (for Apaches, air-to-surface) 50: ARMAT (for Mirage-2000) 120: AS-30L (for Mirage-2000) 300: Blue Arrow-7 (for Wing Loong UCAV) 2500: K-13A/AA-2 120: K-13M/AA-2C 150: MICA (for Rafale aircraft) 50: Paveway-2 225: R-73/AA-11 300: R-550 Magic-1 (for Mirage) 225: RVV-AE/AA-12 Adder (for MiG-29M2 aircraft) 96: Super-530D (for Mirage-2000) 50: Storm Shadow/SCALP (for Rafale aircraft) |
Transport aircraft: |
7: An-12 (transport, 1 stored) 3: An-74TK-200A (transport) 1: C-123K Provider (transport) 25: C-130H (transport) 3: C-130H-30 (transport) 24: C-295 (transport aircraft) 9: DHC-5D Buffalo (transport aircraft) 1: Il-14P (stored, transport) 2: Il-76MF (transport) |
Bomber: |
5: B-6A/H-6A (bomber) 9: Il-28 (2 preserved, bomber) 1: Tu-16D/G (preserved, bomber) |
Recon/EW: |
12: AT-802U (Counter-insurgency/light attack/reconnaissance) 10: Beech-1900C-1 SIGINT (signals intelligence) 9: E-2C II Hawkeye (one on order, early-warning) 2: EC-130H (ECM) 6: Mirage-5SDR (reconnaissance) |
Light aircraft: |
6: Commander-114B (light aircraft) 6: M-1 Sokol (light aircraft) 10: Z-143L (light aircraft) |
UAV: |
48: R4E-50 Skyeye (UAV) 18: ASN-209 (UAV) 10: Wing Loong-1 (Armed UAV) 32: Wing Loong-2 (Armed UAV) 52: Scarab (UAV) 4: Camcopter S-100 (UAV) |
Combat helicopter: |
3: AH-64D Apache (combat) 43: AH-64E (combat) 46: Ka-52K/Hokum-B (combat) 13: Mi-24V/Mi-35 (attack) ~80: SA-342 Gazelle (light, 54 armed with HOT anti-tank missiles or 12mm gun) |
Transport helicopter:
|
2: AS-61D (transport) 15: CH-47C Chinook (transport) ~19: CH-47D Chinook (transport) 1: Mi-4A (preserved, transport) 1: Mi-6T (preserved, transport) 51: Mi-8MT/Mi-17V-5 (armed transport) |
Medium/VIP/EW/ASW Helicopter: |
2: AW139 (medium) 18: Commando 2B (Mk1/2/2B, some VIP transport) 3: Commando 2E (EW version) |
Navy | |
Submarines: |
4: Type-033 ES5A (Romeo) 4: Type 209/1400mod |
Frigates: |
2: Damyat (Knox) 2: Descubierta (El Suez & Abou Qir-class) 2: FREMM (Al Galala, Burnees – ex-Italian) 1: FREMM (Tahya Misr, ex-French) 1: Meko A200 (local construction, three more expected from Germany) 4: Mubarak (Perry) 2: Type-053 (Najim al Zaffer) |
Corvettes: |
4: Gowind-2500 (three locally built, one French built) 1: Pohang-class 1: Tarantul-class (FAC/missile corvette) |
Mine Layer/Hunter: |
3: Assiout (ex-USSR T-43 class) 4: Aswan (ex-USSR Yurka) 2: Osprey-class 4: Osa-2 (Tuima-class) 3: Swiftships |
Landing craft: |
2: Mistral class LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) 3: Project-771 (Polnocny-A) 9: Vydra-class |
Survey vessel: | 2: Swiftships (Safaga & Abu El-Ghoson) |
Fast Attack Craft/Missile Craft: |
4: Ambassador-4 1: FPB-38 (Lurssen, originally for Saudi Arabia) 5: Osa (Project-205, 2 reserve) 9: OPB 41 (Lurssen, originally for Saudi Arabia) 6: Type-024 (Hegu) 5: Type-148 (Tiger/Combattante-2) 6: Ramadan-class |
Patrol craft/Coast Guard: |
3: MRTP-20 6: Swiftships-86 28: Swiftships-93 8: Type-037 (Submarine chaser) 4: Type-062 (Shanghai) |
Transport: |
1: Lueneburg 2: Poluchat-II-class (Torpedo retriever) 1: Westerwald (Ammunition ship) |
Fuel Tankers: | 7: Type-1844 (Toplivo-2, possibly two more) |
Missiles: |
40: AM-39 Exocet (anti-ship) 75: Aspide (For Abou Qir-class frigates) 25: ASTER-15 SAAM (For FREMM frigate) 45: HY-1/SY-1/CSS-N-1 (anti-ship) 80: Mk-46 Mod-5 NEARTIP (Torpedo) 25: MICA (For Gowind frigates) 10: MM-40-3 Exocet (For Gowind frigates) 15: MM-40-3 Exocet (For FREMM frigate) 10: Moskit/SS-N-22 (For Tarantul-class boats) 25: Otomat-1 (For Osa FAC) 50: Otomat-1 (For Ramadan-class vessels) 60: Otomat-2 (for Otomat coast defence systems) 100: P-15/SS-N-2A (For Osa FAC) 30: P-15/SS-N-2A (For Komar-class missile boat) 70: P-20/SS-C-3 (For coast defence systems and Osa-class boats) 36: RGM-84 Harpoon (For frigates) 32: RGM-84 Harpoon (For frigates) 42: RGM-84 Harpoon (For ships, anti-ship) 25: RGM-84L-4 Harpoon-2 (For ships, anti-ship) 68: RIM-66B Standard-1MR (For frigates) 70: RIM-66B Standard-1MR (For frigates) 78: RIM-66B Standard-1MR (For frigates) 139: RIM-116B Block-1A (For Ambassador-4 corvettes) 100: Sting Ray (Torpedo) 75: SUT Torpedo (For Type-209 submarine) 58: UGM-84 Harpoon (For submarines, anti-ship) 20: UGM-84L Harpoon-2 (For submarine, anti-ship) |
Naval aviation: |
9: SA 342 Gazelle 10: SH-2G Super Seapsprite |
2. Overview
Head of State and Government: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Defence Minister: Mohamed Ahmed Zaki Mohamed
Chief of Staff: Mohamed Farid Hegazy
Commander of Air Defence Forces: Lieutenant General Aly Fahmy Mohammed Aly Fahmy
Chief of Staff of Air Defences: Major General Mohamed Darrag
Commander of the Air Force: Air Marshal Mohammed Abbas Helmy
Chief of Staff of the Air Force: Vice Air Marshal Hesham Mohamed Adel Awad
Commander of the Navy: Vice Admiral Ahmed Khaled Hassan Saeed
Chief of Staff of the Navy: Staff Rear Admiral Ashraf Megahed
Member of: UN, AU, LAS, AfDB, G15, etc
3. Defence economics
Military expenditure (ME) from 2010 to 2019 in USD billion:
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
ME | 4.41 | 4.46 | 4.56 | 4.36 | 5.09 | 5.48 | 4.51 | 2.77 | 3.12 | 3.72 |
Military expenditure (ME) as percentage of GDP (2010-2019) in USD billion:
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
GDP in USD billion | 219 | 236 | 279.1 | 288.4 | 305.6 | 329.4 | 332.4 | 235.7 | 249.7 | 303.1 |
ME in USD billion | 4.41 | 4.46 | 4.56 | 4.36 | 5.09 | 5.48 | 4.51 | 2.77 | 3.12 | 3.72 |
ME% of GDP | 1.95 | 1.84 | 1.65 | 1.61 | 1.69 | 1.72 | 1.67 | 1.42 | 1.25 | 1.18 |
Military expenditure (ME) growth as percentage from 2010-2019:
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
ME% Growth | 9.7 | 1.13 | 2.24 | -4.4 | 16.74 | 7.66 | -17.7 | -38.6 | 12.64 | 19.9 |
4. State of military forces
Egypt is considered to have the strongest and largest military on the African continent. Egypt’s military has and continues to play a major part in the country’s politics – the current Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was the military’s former commander.
Egypt has always maintained strong military relations with the United States of America and is estimated to have received over $70 billion worth of military aid from the USA since 1948. Most of this aid comes in the form of a yearly $1.3 billion military assistance fund. As such Egypt has over 1000 M1A1 Abrams tanks, many of which are not even in use; the country also has the ability to co-produce the tanks domestically. The country’s air force is also dominated by American jets, with over 200 different F-16 models and various other US-made aircraft.
However, the relationship with the US has come under strain especially after elected president Muhammad Mursi was overthrown in July 2013 and the US chose to suspend in its aid to the country, putting on hold the delivery of F-16s, M1As, AH-64s and Harpoon missiles. Although the US resumed arms transfers in 2015, Egypt turned to Russia, France, Germany and Italy to supply it with military equipment and is exploring the purchase of aircraft, missiles and other hardware. Egypt has made further requests for weapons from the United States and is in discussions with Italy for aircraft and naval vessels, amongst others.
The Egyptian government is dealing with a variety of threats. The most pressing of which is coming from militant groups that operate in the Sinai peninsula, which has led to increased troop deployments and military operations there – it is estimated that around 220 000 personnel have been deployed to the area. There are almost daily attacks in the area which are targeted at military personnel. The military has also been reinforced along the Libyan border due to instability in the country and has even deployed flying sorties to monitor developments in the country. Security has also been bolstered along the border with Gaza, as smugglers operate tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.
Training within the Egyptian military is of a high standard and with conscription in place the country has a vast pool of soldiers to tap into during a crisis.
5. Country threat report
Threat type | Overview |
External | • Egypt is currently facing no external security threat. |
Internal | • Egypt is currently facing internal security threats presented by the rise of Islamic extremism in the country which has led to the emergence of radical militant groups which operate out of the Sinai peninsula. |
Regional | • Egypt faces terrorist threats as a result of the instability present in Libya to the East. |
Political | • Egypt is considered to be politically stable since having elections in June 2014 although the country has recently gone through a series of political upheavals. |
Economic | • Egypt’s economy took a dip during the Arab Spring. However it is has gradually begun rebuilding key sectors such as tourism, manufacturing and construction, although significant challenges remain due to the drop in tourism caused by civil unrest and terror activities. |
6. Major external deployments
Operation | Country | Personnel/Assests |
MONUSCO | Democratic Republic of Congo |
Experts: 5 Staff Officer: 6 Police: 320 |
MINURSO | Western Sahara | Experts: 18 |
MINUSCA | Central African Republic |
Troops: 984 Experts: 6 Staff Officer: 23 Police: 159 |
MINUSMA | Mali |
Troops: 1 031 Experts: 2 Staff Officer: 32 Police: 160 |
UNAMID | Darfur |
Troops: 149 Staff Officer: 11 Police: 234 |
UNISFA | Abyei | Police: 5 |
UNMISS | South Sudan | Experts: 4 |
Contact
Ministry of Defence
Kobri Al-Kobba
Cairo
+202 839933/837133