Egypt Military - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Military and security forces

Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF): Army (includes surface-to-surface missile forces, special forces, Republican Guard), Navy (includes Coast Guard), Air Force, Air Defense Command; Ministry of Interior: Central Security Forces, National Police (2021)

note: some tribal militias in the Sinai Peninsula cooperate with the Egyptian military against insurgent/terrorist groups such as the Islamic State

Military expenditures

1.2% of GDP (2019)

1.2% of GDP (2018)

1.4% of GDP (2017)

1.7% of GDP (2016)

1.7% of GDP (2015)

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 450,000 total active personnel (325,000 Army; 18,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force; 75,000 Air Defense Command); approximately 300,000 Central Security Forces (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the EAF's inventory is comprised of a mix of domestically produced, imported Soviet-era, and more modern, particularly Western, weapons systems; in recent years, the EAF has embarked on an extensive equipment modernization program with major purchases from a variety of suppliers; since 2010, the leading suppliers of military hardware to Egypt are France, Russia, and the US; Egypt has an established defense industry that produces a range of products from small arms to armored vehicles and naval vessels; it also has licensed and co-production agreements with several countries (2020)

Military deployments

1,000 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,050 Mali (MINUSMA); 150 Sudan (UNAMID) (Jan 2021)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for male conscript military service; service obligation - 18-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserve obligation; voluntary enlistment possible from age 15 (2019)

Military - note

since 2011, the Egyptian Armed Forces, police, and other security forces have been actively engaged in counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism operations in the North Sinai governorate against several militant groups, particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – Sinai Province; as of early 2020, Egypt reportedly had over 40,000 troops plus thousands of police and other security personnel deployed to the Sinai for internal security duties

the military has a large stake in the civilian economy, including running banks, businesses, and shipping lines, producing consumer and industrial goods, importing commodities, and building and managing infrastructure projects, such as bridges, roads, hospitals, and housing

the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) has operated in the Sinai since 1982 as a peacekeeping and monitoring force to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace; the MFO is an independent international organization, created by agreement between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel; it is composed of about 1,150 troops from 13 countries (2020)

NOTE: The information regarding Egypt on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Egypt 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Egypt 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.