Egyptian Armed Forces

The Egyptian Armed Forces are the military forces of the <a href="/facts/Egypt/8Ttg0JwB">Arab Republic of Egypt</a>. The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces directs (a) Egyptian Army forces, (b) the <a href="/facts/Egyptian_Navy/rD4671WJ">Egyptian Navy</a>, (c) <a href="/facts/Egyptian_Air_Force/gANcUjqd">Egyptian Air Force</a> and (d) <a href="/facts/Egyptian_Air_Defense_Forces/XdUGqSs0">Egyptian Air Defense Forces</a>. The Chief of Staff directly supervises army field forces (armies and districts), without any separate <a href="/facts/Egyptian_Army/j1LQnXP9">Egyptian Army</a> headquarters.
Since the <a href="/facts/1952_Egyptian_revolution/fEUwQM9l">1952 Egyptian revolution</a> that overthrew the monarchy, Egypt’s military has dominated Egypt’s politics and economy. Senior members of the military can convene the <a href="/facts/Supreme_Council_of_the_Armed_Forces/YToRhMVK">Supreme Council of the Armed Forces</a>, such as during the course of the <a href="/facts/2011_Egyptian_revolution/gnr0mnJe">2011 Egyptian revolution</a>, when President Mubarak resigned and transferred power to this body on February 11, 2011.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces directs all branches, forces, armies, regions, bodies, agencies and departments of the Armed Forces. The Commander-in-Chief simultaneously holds the position of Minister of Defence. Since July 2024, <a href="/facts/General_officer/0xmYEU4a">General</a> <a href="/facts/Abdel_Mageed_Saqr/UaJDmUbV">Abdel Mageed Saqr</a> has been Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; <a href="/facts/Ministry_of_Defense_(Egypt)/YS4U1yAz">Minister of Defense</a>; and <a href="/facts/Ministry_of_Military_Production_(Egypt)/IDaA7MeL">Military Production</a>. The only person above him in the leadership ladder is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, who is the <a href="/facts/President_of_Egypt/01XuyR6y">President of the Republic</a>, and this position is currently held by <a href="/facts/Abdel_Fattah_el-Sisi/Ixk2kPjB">Abdel Fattah el-Sisi</a>. The <a href="/facts/Chief_of_Staff_of_the_Armed_Forces_(Egypt)/n0Jeo5Pz">Chief of Staff</a> is Lieutenant General <a href="/facts/Ahmed_Fathy_Khalifa/G57G6wHH">Ahmed Fathy Khalifa</a> (since July 2024). The <a href="/facts/Supreme_Council_of_the_Armed_Forces/YToRhMVK">Supreme Council of the Armed Forces</a> consists of 23 members, headed by the Commander-in-Chief and Minister of Defense, and represented by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, with membership of: Commanders of the main branches of air, navy, and air defense, commanders of the <a href="/facts/Egyptian_Border_Guard_Corps/BgzQaSbJ">border guard forces</a>, commanders of the armies (<a href="/facts/Second_Army_(Egypt)/PgxcbCul">Second</a> and <a href="/facts/Third_Army_(Egypt)/hoGNWPWf">Third</a>), and commanders of the military regions (<a href="/facts/Central_Military_Region_(Egypt)/QeaBnbzJ">Central</a>, <a href="/facts/Northern_Military_Region_(Egypt)/gwRYoAW5">Northern</a>, <a href="/facts/Western_Military_Region_(Egypt)/p2XcuxxY">Western</a> and <a href="/facts/Southern_Military_Region_(Egypt)/SAAu8W2k">Southern</a>) and the heads of the <a href="/facts/Military_Operations_Authority_(Egypt)/pq7zNvQ8">Operations</a>, <a href="/facts/Egyptian_Armaments_Authority/nryV175m">Armament</a>, <a href="/facts/Armed_Forces_Logistics_Authority_(Egypt)/aloAsMeG">Logistics and Supply</a>, <a href="/facts/Armed_Forces_Engineering_Authority_(Egypt)/wpEoFCdC">Engineering</a>, <a href="/facts/Armed_Forces_Training_Authority_(Egypt)/UIYHRfTj">Training</a>, <a href="/facts/Armed_Forces_Finance_Authority_(Egypt)/I1ESCK1o">Financial Affairs</a>, <a href="/facts/Military_justice_(Egypt)/JgaMC1LI">Military Justice</a>, <a href="/facts/Armed_Forces_Management_and_Administration_(Egypt)/3y74I4mj">Management and Administration</a>, the directors of the Officers Affairs and <a href="/facts/Military_Intelligence_and_Reconnaissance_(Egypt)/RDU5B7cL">Military Intelligence</a> departments, the Assistant Minister of Defense for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, and the Secretary of the Council is the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defense.
The armament of the Egyptian armed forces varies between eastern and western sources through weapons deliveries by several countries, led by the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>, <a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a>, <a href="/facts/France/CxIeIKM3">France</a>, <a href="/facts/China/lTjIXY5p">China</a>, <a href="/facts/Italy/tUf0PDYF">Italy</a>, <a href="/facts/Ukraine/Qof0uqAj">Ukraine</a> and <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom/kuPAILt2">Britain</a>. Much of the equipment is manufactured locally at Egyptian factories. The Egyptian armed forces celebrate their anniversary on October 6 each year to commemorate the <a href="/facts/Operation_Badr_(1973)/lQydBBdp">Crossing of the Suez</a> during the <a href="/facts/Yom_Kippur_War/tTNe7UlK">October War of 1973</a>.
The modern Egyptian armed forces have been involved in numerous military crises and wars since independence, including the <a href="/facts/1948_Arab%25E2%2580%2593Israeli_War/X3GSudUm">1948 Arab–Israeli War</a>, <a href="/facts/Egyptian_Revolution_of_1952/fEUwQM9l">Egyptian Revolution of 1952</a>, <a href="/facts/Suez_Crisis/mlfbUT51">Suez Crisis</a>, <a href="/facts/North_Yemen_Civil_War/qwGrP9xb">North Yemen Civil War</a>, <a href="/facts/Six-Day_War/xM8d0Wy1">Six-Day War</a>, <a href="/facts/Nigerian_Civil_War/Gcm3fhjc">Nigerian Civil War</a>, <a href="/facts/War_of_Attrition/0A325o5p">War of Attrition</a>, <a href="/facts/Yom_Kippur_War/tTNe7UlK">Yom Kippur War</a>, <a href="/facts/1977_Egyptian_bread_riots/Pafve2Sk">Egyptian bread riots</a>, <a href="/facts/1986_Egyptian_conscripts_riot/h7Tlbvah">1986 Egyptian conscripts riot</a>, <a href="/facts/Egyptian-Libyan_War/2z97gPxk">Egyptian-Libyan War</a>, <a href="/facts/Gulf_War/6LdLnGdo">Gulf War</a>, <a href="/facts/War_on_Terror/CTGl4eto">War on Terror</a>, <a href="/facts/Egyptian_Crisis_(2011%25E2%2580%2593present)/c1oLjD1C">Egyptian Crisis</a>, <a href="/facts/Second_Libyan_Civil_War/eUU839hL">Second Libyan Civil War</a>, <a href="/facts/Military_intervention_against_ISIL/h2ugSBTu">War on ISIL</a> and the <a href="/facts/Sinai_insurgency/HC6tt4kb">Sinai insurgency</a>.

Egyptian Armed Forces open-in-new

Egyptian Armed Forces