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as well as MBDA’s Meteor long-range air-to-air President Sisi is pushing long overdue overhauls of Egypt’s mil-
missile. A fleet of 54 Rafales will make the EAF itary doctrine, its weapons procurement, and its interoperability
the second largest operator of the type in the with allied forces.
world, after France. The delivery of the new
Rafales should allow the retirement of Egypt’s “THE EAF HAS BEEN A SLUMBERING GIANT SINCE
remaining Mirage 5s, and the Mirage 2000s THE LATE 1970S BUT APPEARS TO BE AWAKENING.
as well. According to defence observers the [ COVER STORY ]
acquisition of the Rafales is just one element THIS PROCESS IS BEING DRIVEN LESS BY
in a wider modernisation. Egypt is also likely GENEROUS U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE, WHICH
to acquire two Airbus A330 multi-role tanker HAS LARGELY BEEN IGNORED FOR YEARS, THAN
transport (MRTT) aircraft. BY MORE OVERT PRESSURE FROM WASHINGTON

AND INCREASING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL
Deals Galore THREATS. SISI’S APPARENT CONFIDENCE IN HIS
It’s also learnt that the EAF will soon include
a front-line element consisting of 11 tactical PERSONNEL-BASED MEANS OF COUP PROOFING

fighter wings with 13 Squadrons of F-16s, ALSO PLAYS A VITAL ROLE,” F. C. “Pink” Williams, a
two squadrons of Su-35s, two of MiG-29Ms, retired major general who served as a senior defence official,
two of Rafales, two of Alpha Jets and two of chief of the Office of Military Cooperation, and former defencee
Mirages. There are also seven helicopter wings attacheé with the U.S. embassy in Cairo.
or brigades, two intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance (ISR) units, and two transport
wings/brigades. Egypt’s comparatively high Egypt receives US$1.3 billion annually in military aid from the United
level of arms procurement continued into 2019– States. These funds are for acquiring U.S.-made defence and secu-
20: it signed new major arms deals for Su-35 rity articles through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.
combat aircraft from Russia, MEKO-A200 frig- According to a background paper by Stockholm International Peace
ates from Germany, and FREMM frigates and Research Institute’s (SIPRI), Egypt has one of the largest military
AW-149 and AW-189 helicopters from Italy; and forces in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the largest
planned to procure other major arms from Italy. inventory of major weapons in the region. Amid a growing percep-
The estimated cost of these deals totals US$16 tion of intensified domestic and regional security threats, Egypt,
billion. under President al-Sisi, has made consider able investments to

Egypt also bought military vessels from U.K. for
the first time in more than 30 years. The Royal
Fleet Auxiliary ships— Fort Austin and Fort
Rosalie— were sold by the Defence Equipment
Sales Authority (DESA). The ships will join an
Egyptian Navy fleet composed of American,
Korean, German, Italian and French vessels.
Fort Austin and Fort Rosalie have helped to
ensure Navy personnel all over the world have
the food, ammunition, and explosives they need
to carry out vital operations. The sister ships
have two flight decks, which means as well as
traditional replenishment at sea they are also
able to use helicopters to offload supplies.

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