When the armed forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt (Egypt) conducted large-scale military maneuvers in the Sinai in the fall of 2008, Israel was traditionally chosen as a conditional enemy. This fact has caused another tension between Cairo and Jerusalem. About five months later, in February last year, when the Egyptians, in the same place, on Sinai, decided to re-check the readiness of their army, the name of the conditional enemy was not named. And this is not a diplomatic ploy: the military, as you know, are bad diplomats. The entire course of the February maneuvers, the code names, the range of the conventional strikes indicated that last year the Egyptian army played out a hypothetical conflict with armed formations, whose ally the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) cannot be, by definition.
EGYPTIAN MANEUVERS
The Egyptian army has always been considered the most powerful in the Arab world. The total number of the armed forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt is about half a million soldiers and officers of conscript service. In addition, almost 350 thousand more people are actually under arms in the paramilitary formations of security structures, the border troops and the National Guard. It is not surprising that the Egyptian armed forces are among the top ten armies in the world in terms of numbers. The basis of the armed forces is made up of ground forces (Land Forces), including motorized infantry, tank and artillery brigades, and airborne units. According to the staffing table, the ground forces include reconnaissance, engineering, transport units, as well as chemical protection and logistical support units. At the operational level, the troops are united into four military districts, which, when hostilities begin, are transformed into fronts.
The ground forces are armed with tanks, combat armored vehicles, self-propelled and towed guns. The ARE armed forces have separate brigades of Luna-2M operational-tactical missile systems and R-17E ballistic missiles. The entire rocket fleet is still Soviet-made, practically unmodified. The military aviation of the ARE is represented by 26 squadrons, manned mainly by American-made F-15 and F-16 aircraft. The Americans also handed over about 200 combat helicopters to the Egyptians. It should be noted that most of the weapons and equipment supplied to the country have an overseas stigma. In this case, Washington is applying to the Egyptians the version of military assistance tested on the Israelis. For the $ 2 billion allocated to Cairo specifically as military aid, the Egyptians have the right to purchase only American weapons, ammunition and military equipment. However, while planes, helicopters and aircraft are supplied directly from the United States, tanks and armored vehicles are assembled in Egypt under an American license.
Note that in terms of the number of heavy weapons, the ARE army today significantly exceeds the IDF. And in terms of the quality of weapons now entering the Egyptian arsenals, it is not far behind the Israeli one.
The ARE navy is rightfully considered the largest in the Arab East and Africa. However, its combat power is highly questionable. The backbone of the Egyptian Navy is made up of six obsolete, but modernized and armed with modern weapons American frigates of the Knox and Oliver Hazard Perry.
The light fleet is represented by Chinese-made boats, built on the basis of Soviet models. As for the submarine fleet, it does not stand up to criticism, because it was mainly built according to the projects of the 60s of the last century. Even the delivery of two diesel submarines by the Netherlands two years ago did not change the situation. Almost all sea mine-sweeping and small landing ships were supplied by the Soviet Union, and three large landing ships were supplied by Poland in 1974.
STAFF IS DECIDING A LOT
In peacetime, the Arab army is five times larger than the IDF. According to the law adopted in 1980, the armed forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt are recruited on the basis of the principle of universal conscription and the voluntary recruitment of contract soldiers. Men from 18 to 30 years old who are fit for health reasons are subject to conscription in peacetime. The term of active military service is three years, while being in the reserve in peacetime is nine years. But in the event of war and the announcement of a general mobilization, the age limit for conscription extends to 50 years. It is not at all difficult to divert from the call to young men belonging to the educated strata. The law provides for deferrals, reduced terms of service for persons with at least secondary education.
For some categories of students and persons with higher education, complete exemption from conscription is possible. Girls are not drafted into the local army, but formally the Minister of Defense has the right to announce the recruitment of women volunteers for non-combat army units and labor battalions.
The service life of regular officers is set at 20 years, then they are in reserve for three years. Private and non-commissioned officers are mainly recruited from semi-literate peasants. Therefore, mastering even simple skills of military service by them requires special training in the appropriate centers. Competent conscripts are trained directly in the units.
Officers are trained in military schools, as well as in military departments of civilian universities. In some cases, the rank of lieutenant is awarded to particularly distinguished non-commissioned officers. The training of senior officers is carried out at the Military Academy of the General Staff named after Gamal Abdel Nasser.
In Egypt, the army has always been and remains a supplier of personnel to the state and administrative apparatus. The country's current president, Hosni Mubarak, is a former military pilot. There are many former military men among provincial governors, ministers, and heads of diplomatic missions. For people from rural areas and small towns, military service is almost the only way to a certain prosperity.
The most common way to control the armed forces in all Arab armies, including the Egyptian, was and remains high military salaries and financial support for the army as a whole. However, of course, there is not enough money to individually support hundreds of thousands of military personnel in the treasury. Therefore, the recruitment of servicemen and the formation of army units bear an undoubted class character. The elite units are supplied much better than those in which the majority of the military is represented by former peasants. Hence, riots in the troops are not uncommon. So, in 1986, 20 thousand soldiers and officers from the order protection companies rebelled. The reason for the rebellion is very trivial - the command sharply reduced the norms for the distribution of bread. Against the rioters, the government sent three elite divisions, which mercilessly dealt with the rebellious units.
Egypt spends huge amounts of money on the purchase of weapons, military equipment and equipment. At the same time, ARE is developing its own military industry.
KICK THE QUIVER WITH ARROWS …
It should be borne in mind that Egypt's military industry, the largest in the Middle East, includes all areas of production - from small arms and ammunition to tank and aircraft missile technology. In the production of weapons, the Egyptians cooperate not only with the Americans. In Egypt, mortars, anti-aircraft guns are produced according to their own designs, and tank guns and howitzers are produced, respectively, under British and Finnish licenses. Experience has been accumulated in the production of communications equipment, fire control systems and military optics.
Egypt's Ministry of War Industry (MEP) operates 16 state-owned enterprises producing both military and civilian products. It is important to note that ammunition is produced only at MVP factories. Created in 1975, the Arab Industrialization Organization (IDO) concern, which included, in addition to Egypt, Saudi Arabia (CA), Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), controlled nine military enterprises in the Land of Pyramids. In the early 90s of the last century, the SA, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates withdrew from the IDF, and now the IDF is only an Egyptian concern.
The reason for the actual collapse of the IDF is very curious. Egypt insisted that Arab countries, and even more so the founders of the IDF, buy their own products. But the Saudis strongly opposed this approach. The example of the SA was followed by Qatar and the UAE. To date, it is the SA, and not Egypt, that occupies a leading position in the import of weapons, primarily American. At the Helwan aircraft plant, which is part of the IDF concern, until recently, together with Brazil, the Egyptians produced the Tucano aircraft, a combat training aircraft. Today the aircraft of the same class is being assembled there, but already by the Chinese.
At the same plant, aircraft engines of Russian-made MiG-21 aircraft, French Mirage-3 and a number of American aircraft enterprises are repaired and modernized. The production of training aircraft began, projects of which Egypt developed jointly with China and Pakistan.
The traditional - started back in the 50s - cooperation with Spanish and German companies continues. Recall that the first jet fighter built in Egypt was developed in Spain by a team of designers led by the famous Willie Messerschmidt. The Egyptians believe that Soviet arms deliveries slowed the pace of their own production of military equipment. Today Cairo considers it necessary, in principle focusing on Washington, to seek other opportunities for joint production of weapons. So, the current Egyptian leadership is trying to add India to its program of development of projects of supersonic fighters.
A huge amount of Soviet military equipment remained in Egypt. Until now, the Egyptians are armed with the S-125 missile systems, the Kvadrat anti-aircraft missile system and a number of others. According to the agreements concluded by Cairo with Rosoboronexport, Defensive Systems, Almaz-Antey and Ukroboronservis, this equipment is being repaired by Russian and Ukrainian khubars (in Arabic - specialists). In 2009, Moscow supplied the Egyptian army with ten MI-17V5 military helicopters manufactured by the Kazan Helicopter Plant. Ten more are planned to be delivered this year. Taking into account the previous deliveries, at least 100 Russian helicopters are in operation in the ARE army. The Egyptian military is showing interest in modern Russian-made air defense systems such as the S-300 and S-400.
At the end of the 90s of the last century, Egypt invited the North Korean khubars to the country, who, on the basis of solid-propellant engines, were able to increase the flight range of operational-tactical missiles (of the Scud type) to 500 kilometers. North Korean carrier rockets "Nodong" are used as a model for the creation of medium-range ballistic missiles - up to 2,000 kilometers. Thus, the defensive concept of ARE is quite consistent with the Arab saying: "Before you shoot, fill your quiver with arrows."
Cairo exports its military products to a number of Arab and African states. Israeli weapons, ammunition, ammunition and defense technology are bought in 50 countries. Thus, Jerusalem took the third place in the world (after the USA and Russia) in terms of the export of military products. Jerusalem is actively introducing unmanned combat vehicles - in all likelihood, in 10-15 years Israeli planes will be unmanned by a third. Cairo has not yet started unmanned military aircraft. Cairo had no obvious nuclear ambitions. The Egyptian nuclear program began to be developed in the late 60s of the last century, but in 1973 it was completely mothballed. Consequently, the Egyptians do not forget another Arabic proverb: "Do not swords of arrows that you cannot reflect."
OFFICERS ALWAYS AHEAD
The ARE legislation prohibits military personnel from engaging in political activities and taking part in the work of any political parties. And nevertheless, all Egyptian presidents after the overthrow of the monarchy in July 1952 came from an officer's environment. These included the first president Mohammed Naguib, the second president Gamal Abdel Nasser, as well as Anwar Sadat and the current leader Hosni Mubarak, by the way, a graduate of the Frunze Military Academy. It is doubtful that this tradition will be broken in the foreseeable future.
