Introduction
The Egyptian military potential is large compared to many other countries. According to the annual review, out of 138 states surveyed for this indicator, Egypt ranks ninth, which is a high result (“Egypt military strength,” 2020, para. 1). At the same time, the country is highly equipped with heavy ground and air techniques, which makes it an authoritative state in terms of weapons. The role of the air force is high, and ensuring the territorial security of Egypt is largely due to the high power of its air military equipment.
Egyptian Army Size
Because the population of Egypt is large, the proportion of manpower is significant. According to the latest data, 43.2% of the country’s inhabitants are among the available manpower, which is approximately 43,000,000 citizens (“Egypt military strength,” 2020). Military personnel makes up 0.9% of the total population, which equals 920,000 people (“Egypt military strength,” 2020). These figures confirm the high potential of the Egyptian military sphere.
Air Defense Capabilities
In the area of air defense, Egypt also possesses significant military resources. According to the official data, the indicator airpower combat power is 1,054, which puts the country in tenth place in the aforementioned list (“Egypt military strength,” 2020). Egypt has 215 fighters at its disposal, and in 2020, 88 dedicated attacks have been carried out (“Egypt military strength,” 2020). The total transport equipment is 59 units of air technique aimed at identifying and preventing air threats (“Egypt military strength,” 2020). In addition, the country modernizes its existing air capabilities actively, and a high proportion of trainers (387 – fifth out of 138) confirms this (“Egypt military strength,” 2020). Because Egypt is located near a potentially unsafe region of the Gulf countries where military conflicts occur regularly, the need to increase the capabilities of air defense is high. Therefore, the state develops this industry and maintains a high level of its potential.
Military Branches
The high potential of the Egyptian armed forces is due to the diversity of their branches. The country has a developed air force system, large-scale land forces, and naval military units (“Egypt military strength,” 2020). An opportunity to invest in the development of various military sectors is due to a sufficient amount of natural resources and an effective policy to strengthen the country’s combat-ready power.
Military Enemies
The main military enemies with whom Egypt may have real and potential conflicts, as a rule, adhere to the radical views of maintaining peace and world order. According to Kirkpatrick (2018), “ISIS, Iran and political Islam” pose the key threats to the security of Egypt (para. 6). Consequently, the main military risks come from the Arab countries of the Middle East, and interaction with allies is an important aspect of maintaining peace and the country’s territorial integrity.
Military Allies
To prevent real threats, maintaining positive relationships with allies is an important part of the Egyptian military policy. Butter (2020) notes that to counter the threat of radical Muslim associations, the country interacts with the UAE. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain are also partners and provide support in preventing extremist threats (Butter, 2020). Kirkpatrick (2018) mentions the alliance with Israel as a significant aspect of Egypt’s foreign policy to establish allied relations. Thus, the state has sufficient support to keep its peace.
Conclusion
The high level of the Egyptian military potential is largely due to a course to maintain peace in a potentially unsafe region, and the role of air forces is big. Military branches are numerous, and the country’s high position in terms of combat power proves the preparedness of the state. Egypt has enemies in the nearby Arab region, but alliances with individual countries contribute to maintaining security.
References
Butter, D. (2020). Egypt and the Gulf: Allies and rivals. Chatham House. Web.
Egypt’s military strength. (2020). Global Fire Power. Web.
Kirkpatrick, D. D. (2018). Secret alliance: Israel carries out airstrikes in Egypt, with Cairo’s O.K. The New York Times. Web.