United States and Egypt, decades of military cooperation

Egyptian air force acrobatic jets perform aerial maneuvers with colored smoke as they fly past an Egyptian AH-64 Apache attack helicopter over the capital Cairo on June 2, 2018, during the inauguration of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for a second four-year term in office. [AFP]

In 2022, the United States and Egypt marked 100 years of partnership.

Welcoming Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the Pentagon on December 14, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted Egypt's leadership role in the Middle East and Africa and on the world stage.

"The administration greatly appreciates Egypt's leadership and co-operation and achieving our shared security objectives," Austin said.

A top US ally in the Middle East and Africa, Egypt benefits from having powerful US weapons in all three branches of its military.

An Egyptian air force CH-47 Chinook helicopter hovers above the ground during the 'Guardians of the Nile' joint military drill between Egypt and Sudan in the Um Sayyala area, northwest of Khartoum, on May 31, 2021. [Ashraf Shazly/AFP]

Egypt is ranked as a top 15 power in the 2023 Global Fire Power Index and boasts the largest military on the African continent, and one of the most powerful in the Middle East.

Egyptian army

The Egyptian army is one of the most powerful in Africa and the Middle East. Its combat equipment far outclasses equipment made by other countries.

A recently compiled list of Egyptian army hardware includes 1,130 M1A1 Abrams tanks, an undisclosed number of Stinger missiles, 3,890 high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs or Humvees), an undisclosed number of mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles, an undisclosed number of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRSs) and 201 M109A5 self-propelled howitzers.

The Egyptian army's core combat power is the tank.

Since 1987, Egypt has assembled more than 1,100 M1A1 Abrams battle tanks under a co-production programme with the United States, by far the largest number of tanks in service.

"Combined with the 1,700 older ... M60 tanks, and various remaining Soviet supplied models, Egypt possesses at least 4,000 main battle tanks, far and away the largest such fleet in the region," according to a February 2019 report published by the Carnegie Middle East Centre.

Air force, navy capabilities

The Egyptian air force also stands head and shoulders above regional competitors. Its array of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft gives it an advantage in the vital matters of combat and transport.

The force, according to a recent list, has 46 AH-64D Apache helicopters, 21 C-130 transport aircraft, 218 F-16 fighters, seven E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft and 19 CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

Egypt, which controls the Suez Canal and plays a vital role in securing commercial shipping and maritime navigation in regional waters, has significant naval forces in both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

It has boosted its naval power in recent years, inaugurating the Berenice Military Base on the Red Sea coast near Aswan in January 2020, Egypt Today reported.

The land, naval and air base is the largest in Africa, and can accommodate huge vessels and aircraft carriers, military and passenger planes and commercial vessels, the media outlet said.

The Egyptian navy is capable of performing a broad range of missions with its equipment, including combat, reconnaissance and other missions.

The navy has four Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, four MK III missile craft and two Osprey-class minehunters.