President Sisi has developed a clear strategy that preserves the gains of Egyptian state
Egyptian army has power of deterrence, being an army that protects Egypt and does not act aggressively unless state is exposed to a real threat
Egypt has many military industrial fortresses
We work in various fields of defence manufacturing and to be present in the international arms market
EDEX gives us the opportunity to market Egyptian products in other countries
Egypt does not stop keeping up with military development
Armed Forces secure state to counter any danger or possible hostilities
By Sarah Saad
Major General Kamal Wafaei Mohammad, Chairman of the Armed Forces Armament Authority, referred to a historical overview of the establishment of his authority.
It was decided to establish the authority, he said, in 1954 to specialize in everything related to the armament of the Egyptian army.
He added that the authority was established on April 14, 1968 through a decision by the late president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, where it was headed by then Major General Abdul Hamid Mahmoud, who took over the establishment and the organization of the authority, for the first time, under the name ‘Technical Authority’.
The authority was then headed by several army commanders, including Major General Mohamed al-Ghamri Dawoud (between 1 July 1990 and 14 October 1993), and Lieutenant General Mohammed Saeed Al-Assar (between 18 June 1998 and 12 December 1999). Both authority heads also served as ministers of state for military production.
Major General Kamal Wafaei Mohammad, Chairman of the Armed Forces Armament Authority, said the aim of the establishment of the authority is to rebuild and organize the Armed Forces (land, air, sea, air defence and other branches of the armed forces) to raise their technical efficiency.
He pointed out that the Armed Forces Armament Authority is followed by the Department of Vocational Education and Training, the Military Technological College (formerly the Technical Institute), the Quality Control System, the Automated Centre and the direction of granting International Accreditation Certificates (ISO).
The Chairman of the Armed Forces Armament Authority stressed that since President Abdel Fattah El Sisi assumed the presidency in 2014, he has developed a clear strategy for the state, the most important component of which was to have a deterrent military capability that preserves the gains of the Egyptian state, and at the same time rebuild the modern Egyptian state to open the door for the emergence of the New Republic.
The state has adopted a foreign policy strategy of openness to all countries, one that establishes balanced relations with all influential world powers and does not confine itself to a specific country or alliance.
This has brought Egypt respect and appreciation from all countries, especially major powers which strive to establish military ties with Egypt through joint military exercises, which compounds high professionalism.
The most important thing is that the Egyptian army has the power of deterrence. It is an army that protects and does not attack any other country unless Egypt is exposed to a real threat.
On the dependence of the Egyptian Armed Forces on giant Egyptian military industrial entities to provide a large part of their needs and the maintenance of weapons and equipment by land, air and sea, the Chairman of the Armed Forces Armament Authority confirmed that Egypt owns many military industrial fortresses, such as the Arab Organization for Industrialization, the Arab International Optics Company, the Engineering Industries Complex of the Ministry of Defence, the Maritime Industries and Services Authority among others.
Egypt, he said, seeks through these large fortresses to achieve self-sufficiency in weapons and then market them abroad after confirming the efficiency of the Egyptian product, thanks to Egypt’s regional and global weight.
He praised Egypt’s great achievements in the war on terrorism, which confirms the ability of the Egyptian fighter and weapons, saying: “We have a number of Egyptian weapons that had high efficiency in the fight against terrorism, such as radars used to detect layers of the Earth, armoured bulldozers, conventional weapons, mine detectors, and other weapons”.
He pointed out that Egypt has provided many Egyptian-made weapons to the world market, such as the Crocodile Vehicle of all types, the Armoured Fahd, electro-optical devices, and naval pieces, such as the Gowind-class frigate, in addition to many naval pieces, such as fast launchers (Rib).
He stressed Egyptian superiority in the manufacture of naval parts, which will serve as a prelude to the manufacture of complete frigates in Egypt in the near future.
The Chairman of the Armed Forces Armament Authority said: “We work in multiple fields of defence manufacturing and to be present in the international arms market, through attractive factors, foremost of which is the quality and efficiency of the products of the Egyptian army.”
“When Egypt has a weapon, many countries seek to acquire the same weapon,” Major General Mohammad said.
“We have become a source of confidence for the weapons we manufacture, in addition to the low prices of our manufactured weapons, compared to major countries working in the field of defence industries,” he added.
He referred to preparations by Egypt for the launch of the third edition of Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX2023) between 4 and 7 December.
In this context, the Chairman of the Armed Forces Armament Authority explained that after the success and good impact of the previous two editions of the exhibition, the inauguration of the third edition would be a good opportunity to exchange experiences with various entities, institutions and leading international, regional and local companies in the field of armament systems, defence and military industries.
Major General Kamal Wafaei Mohammad noted that EDEX 2023 would include the largest group of military and industrial products by major international and regional companies from all countries.
These companies, he said, would come to present everything new in the field of armament, including defence industry products manufactured by Egypt at its various military factories with the participation of the National Military Production Authority, the Arab Industrialization Authority, the Naval Industries Agency and the workshops affiliated to the Ministry of Defence.
This, he said, would turn EDEX into an effective international umbrella for showcasing the latest military, defence and technological industry systems in the world.
The Chairman of the Armed Forces Armament Authority stated that EDEX2023 would include many major international industrial companies and entities.
He said the highest levels of military representation have been invited in the form of official delegations, acting as counterparts to the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Staff, the Minister of Military Production and the commanders of the major branches of the Armed Forces.
“Some countries would be represented by a very large number of companies, such as the US, France, China, Türkiye, Armenia, Germany, South Korea, and India,” Major General Mohammad said.
He added that this would compound the participation of other friendly and brotherly countries, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“The exhibition will be a source of pride for all Egyptians and will continue to be held periodically every two years,” Major General Mohammad said.
As for the gains achieved by the Armed Forces Armament Authority from the two previous editions of EDEX, Major General Mohammad noted that the exhibition achieved many advantages.
“It sent a message to the whole world that Egypt is stable and safe and that it is able to organize all international conferences in all fields,” he said.
“Organizing such exhibitions benefits Egypt militarily through presence on the international armament and arms manufacturing stage,” he added.
He noted that organizing such exhibitions also gives Egypt the chance to showcase its military products, demonstrating the defence industry it has inside its various armament and arms manufacturing fortresses and in all fields.
The same events, he added, gives Egypt the opportunity to market its products in all countries, with Egypt producing many weapons and ammunition, armoured vehicles, naval parts and various armament systems.
“In addition, the exhibition sends a message about the depth of Egypt’s relations with friendly and brotherly countries,” Major General Mohammad said.
“The moral dimension is the most important, given its role in supporting the confidence of the Egyptian people in their Armed Forces and creating a generation of conscious youth who have affiliation to their country and who are able to protect this country and its land and maritime borders and airspace,” he added.
Major General Mohammad referred to many important military industry exhibitions around the world, where giant military companies and factories are keen to display the latest weapons, equipment, ammunition and systems.
Egypt, he said, is keen to be present in these exhibitions to learn about the latest weapons and weapons systems, so that the Egyptian Armed Forces can remain abreast of military technological development and be able to defend Egypt’s security.
Major General Kamal Wafaei Mohammad concluded his remarks with a message to all Egyptians: the plan for developing the Armed Forces continues and will not stop.
“We maintain peace by having a powerful military force made up of personnel trained at the highest level of combat efficiency and equipped with the latest armament systems,” he said.
“Egypt does not stop keeping up with military development, and based on the various hostilities, the Armed Forces are being armed to counter any potential danger,” he added.
