Prepared for a Hostile Regime in Egypt

March 21, 2011

Still, 30 years of “cold peace” have never eliminated the deep-rooted insecurities and mutual distrust between the Israeli and Egyptian armed forces. While the peace treaty has given the Israel Defense Forces relief in building its battle order, the military has never taken its eye off its southern neighbor, and war plans still call for a hefty reserve force to be set aside for dealing with Egypt, no matter where a confrontation may break out.

Since coming under the U.S. orbit in the wake of the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, brokered by Washington, Egypt has received US $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid. Egypt’s army launched an ambitious modernization plan, cutting its personnel from about 600,000 to 340,000 to build a mobile and efficient force.

	U.S. frigate similar to ones used by Egypt en.wikipedia.org/DoDMedia
	An Egyptian Air Force F-16 Falcon is refueled during joint U.S. and Egyptian training excercises. en.wikipedia.org www.defenseimagery.mil

Egypt’s most impressive achievement has been its air force, which the “Military Balance,” published by the Institute for National Security Studies, describes as “the most far-reaching transformation of any air arm in the Middle East.” Egypt has about 200 advanced American F-16s and some two-dozen French Mirage 2000 interceptors. It also has 100 attack helicopters, compared with just 80 in Israel, according to the Center for Strategic International Studies.

Furthermore, Egypt has some 500 multiple rocket launchers (twice the number as Israel) and nearly half of its 3,100 tanks are Western, including nearly 1,000 M1s. The Egyptian Navy is the most robust in the eastern Mediterranean basin, with 10 frigates, 4 submarines, and 23 missile boats. Egypt has had surface-to-surface missiles since the early 1970s, and its Scud rockets reportedly are capable of reaching anywhere in Israel.

Ironically, Egypt's modernization program has presented a scenario never faced by Israel before with its half indigenous/half U.S.-made weaponry possibly squaring off against similar Western weapons held by Egypt. Alex Fischman, long-time military analyst for Yediot Ahronot, the nation's largest daily, warned that now was the time for Israel to make “political and security modifications.” These included creating additional forces for Israel's Southern Command.

Source: Excerpts of an article by Arieh O’Sullivan, The Media Line