Egyptian Army
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The Egyptian Army is the largest service within the Egyptian military establishment. It is estimated to number around 320,000. However, since Egypt has been undergoing a modernization plan, the Egyptian Army may see a cut of up to 25% of its personnel. Many believe that such a large cut will not take place due to the need to reduce unemployment, and because it would reduce the need for officers which are already in excess.
The Egyptian Frontier Corps is a lightly armed paramilitary unit of about 12,000 men, mostly Bedouins, responsible for border surveillance, general peacekeeping, drug interdiction, and prevention of smuggling. In the late 1980s, the Egyptian Army equipped this force with remote sensors, night-vision binoculars, communications vehicles, and high-speed motorboats.
The commander of the Armed Forces is Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Soliman, who is also commander in chief of the armed forces.
Structure
- HQ, Operations Authority: Cairo
- * HQ. Central Military Region: Cairo
- * HQ, Second Field Army: Ismaelia
- * HQ, Third Field Army: Suez
- * HQ, Western Military Region: Sidi Buraimi
- * HQ, Northern Military Region: Alexandria
- * HQ, Southern Military Region: Assiut
- 4 Armored divisions (each consisting of 2 armored brigade and 1 mechanized brigade, and 1 artillery brigade).
- 8 Mechanized infantry divisions (each consisting of 1 armored brigade, 2 mechanized brigades, and 1 artillery brigade).
- 1 Republican Guard Armored Brigade.
- 4 Independent armored brigades.
- 2 Independent infantry brigades.
- 1 Airmobile brigades.
- 1 Airborne brigade.
- 6 Commando groups.
- 15 Independent artillery brigades.
- 2 Heavy mortar brigades.
- 6 ATGW brigades.
- 2 SSM brigades
Armor & Weaponry
Light Weapons
- AK-47s are the primary weapon of almost all soldiers.
- TOW-2
Combat vehicles
- M1A1 (+ 777)
- M60A3 (1,700)
- T-62
- YPR-765 armored infantry fighting vehicles IFV (611)
- Fahd-30 IFVs upgraded with BMP-2 turrets
- M113 Armored Personnel Carriers (2000)
Artillery
- Project-T (an enhanced Scud-C) short range ballistic missiles
- Sakr-80 rockets
- M109A1 155mm self-propelled howitzers
- D-20 152mm towed guns
- M-46 130mm towed guns
- SPH 122mm self-propelled guns (24)
- A-19 Model 1931/1937 122mm towed guns
Air Defence
- MIM-23 Hawk - medium range surface-to-air missile systems
- MIM-72/M48 Chaparral - surface-to-air missile systems
- Crotale - mobile short-range surface-to-air missile systems
- SA-6 Gainful - mobile low-medium altitude surface-to-air missile systems
- SA-3 Goa - low level surface-to-air missile systems
- SA-2 Guideline - high-altitude surface-to-air guided missile systems
- Nile 23 23mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns
- Sinai 23 23mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns
- S-60 anti-aircraft guns
- KS-19 anti-aircraft guns
- ZU 23mm anti-aircraft guns
Upgrade projects
The Ramses II is a heavily modified T-55 Tank built by Egypt. The Ramses II has an American-style suspension similar to that of the M-60A3, and uses the same engine, transmission, drive train, and 105 mm gun as the M-60A3. It carries more fuel internally, and has IR vision for the gunner and driver as well as image intensification for the commander and a laser rangefinder with ballistic computer for the gunner. Armor has been added and most of these tanks also carry side skirts. The vehicle has been radiologically shielded, has an NBC overpressure system, and mounts 6 smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret. The hatch layout has been retained, but the Ramses II is nearly one meter longer than the T-55. By 2000, the Ramses II had still not entered production, but development continues.
References
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