Egyptian Army
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The Egyptian Army is the largest service within the Egyptian military establishment. It is estimated to number around 340,000, plus around 375,000 reservists for a total of 655-715,000<ref>International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2006, p.183</ref>.
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 force was equipped 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.
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[edit] 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 Burani (IISS: Mersa Matruh)
- HQ, Northern Military Region: Alexandria
- HQ, Southern Military Region: Assiut (IISS: Aswan)
These commands include the following formations:<ref>International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2006, p.183</ref>
- 4 Armored Divisions (each consisting of 2 Armored Brigades and 1 Mechanized Brigade, and 1 Artillery Brigade). Armored Division during the Yom Kippur War included the 4th and 21st.
- 8 Mechanized Infantry Divisions (each consisting of 1 Armored Brigade, 2 Mechanized Brigades, and 1 Artillery Brigade). Infantry and Mechanised Division during the Yom Kippur War included the 2nd, 7th, 16th, 18th, 19th Inf and 6th & 23rd Mechanised.<ref>Historical Notes and Scenarios Booklet, Suez '73: The Battle of the Chinese Farm (boardgame), Game Designers' Workshop, 1981</ref>
- 1 Republican Guard Armored Division.
- 4 Independent Armored Brigades.
- 4 Independent Mechanized Brigades.
- 2 Independent Infantry Brigades.
- 1 Airmobile Brigade.
- 1 Airborne Brigade.
- 6 Commando Groups.
- 15 Independent Artillery Brigades.
- 2 Heavy mortar Brigades
- 2 SSM Brigades {one with 9 Batteries of FROG-7 and Sakr-80 and one with 9 Batteries of Scud-B Project-T (an enhanced Scud-C) } Each Battery consist of 6 Launchers with two reloads each.
[edit] Armor & Weaponry
[edit] Light Weapons
- AKMs are the primary weapon of almost all soldiers.
- BGM-71 TOW
- M-16 rifle
- FN MAG limited use.
[edit] Combat vehicles
- M1A1 MBT(880)
- M60A3 MBT (1,700)
- T-62 MBT (450)
- T-55 Ramses II Modernized T-55 MBT (390/260)
- YPR-765 Tracked Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles IFV (611 + 200)
- BMR-600 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier IFV (260)
- BMP-1 Tracked Armored Personnel Fighting Vehicle IFV (220)
- BTR-50 Tracked Arnored Personnel Carrier & BTR-60 Wheeled Personnel Carrier (1050)
- Fahd-30 IFVs upgraded with BMP-2 turrets (165)
- M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (2650)
- M901 ITV(Improved TOW Vehicle) Carrier (52)
- BRDM-2 Reconnaisanse Armored Vehicle/ATGW Carrier (300)
[edit] Artillery
- Project-T (an enhanced Scud-C) Short range Ballistic Missiles (Range: 600 km) (24)
- Scud-B Short range Ballistic Missles (Range 300 km) (120)
- Sakr-80 Short range Battlefield Rocket (Range: 80 km) (380)
- FROG-7 Short range Battlefield Rocket (Range: 70 km) (100)
- M109A1/A2 155mm self-propelled howitzer (279)
- M109A5 155mm self-propelled howitzer (201)
- D-20 152mm towed gun (350)(Being replaced by the Finnish locally built GHN-45)
- D-1 152 mm towed howitzer (150)(In Reserve)
- ML-20 152 mm towed howitzer (200)(In Reserve)
- M-46 130mm towed gun Type 59 130mm towed gun (420 + 240)(Manufactured locally)
- SPH 122mm Self-propelled Howitzer (D-30 Howitzer on M-109 A2 Chassis)(Locally Assembled) (124)
- A-19 122mm towed gun Model 1931/37 (150)
- D-30 122mm towed howitzer (600)(Manufactured locally)
- M-30 122mm towed howitzer (354)(In Reserve)
- D-74 122mm towed gun (350)
- GHN-45 155mm towed howitzer w/APU (400)(Being manufactured locally)
[edit] Air Defence
- Skyguard - Laser Based Area Defense System.
- M1097 Avenger - Lethal forward-area air defense system w/Stinger
- MIM-23 Hawk - medium range surface-to-air guided missile systems
- MIM-72/M48 Chaparral - mobile short range surface-to-air guided missile systems
- Crotale - mobile short-range surface-to-air missile systems
- SA-6 Gainful - mobile low-medium altitude guided surface-to-air missile systems
- SA-3 Goa - stationary/mobile low-medium level surface-to-air guided missile systems
- SA-2 Guideline - stationary high-altitude surface-to-air guided missile systems
- Nile 23 23mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns radar guided
- Sinai 23 23mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns radar guided w/stinger AAM
- S-60 anti-aircraft guns
- KS-19 anti-aircraft guns
- ZU-23-2 23mm anti-aircraft guns
[edit] 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.
[edit] References
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