Establishment (Egyptian Army Air Force) in celebration of King
Farouk I and Queen Farida's wedding. In late 1928, the
Parliament of Egypt proposed the creation of an Egyptian Air Force. The Egyptian ministry of war announced that it needed volunteers for the new arm to become the first four Egyptian military pilots. Over 200 Egyptian officers volunteered, but in the end only three succeeded in passing strict medical tests and technical examinations. These three went to
No. 4 Flying Training School RAF at
RAF Station Abu Sueir near the
Suez Canal, where they were trained on a variety of aircraft. After graduation, they traveled to the United Kingdom for specialised training. On 2 November 1930, the King of Egypt and Sudan,
Fuad I announced the creation of the
Egyptian Army Air Force (EAAF). On 27 May 1931, the Egyptian Council of Ministers approved the purchase of five aircraft and the building of an airfield at Almaza (Cairo) with a budget of 50,000 pounds. The aircraft chosen was the British
de Havilland Gipsy Moth trainer, the five modified aircraft were flown from England to Egypt and on arrival in May 1932 the air force was founded and the Almaza airfield was formally opened. The first commander of the EAAF was Squadron Leader
Victor Hubert Tait RAF, a
Canadian, former Senior Air Advisor on the British Military Mission in Egypt. Tait selected staff, weapons and initiated building a number of airfields. In 1934 the British government provided ten
Avro 626 aircraft, which were the first real Egyptian military planes. A further 17 626s together with
Hawker Audaxes for army cooperation and close support and
Avro Ansons for VIP work followed shortly afterward. In 1937 the Egyptian Army Air Force was separated from the Army Command and became an independent branch named the
Royal Egyptian Air Force (REAF). New stations were built in the
Suez Canal Zone, and the Western Desert. During 1938 the REAF received two squadrons (Nos 2 and 5) of
Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters and No. 1 Squadron of
Westland Lysander reconnaissance aircraft, Egypt was the last state to use the Lysander in action, during the
1948 Arab–Israeli War.
Second World War As the Egyptian border was threatened by an Italian and German invasion during the
Second World War, the
Royal Air Force established more airfields in Egypt. The Royal Egyptian Air Force was sometimes treated as a part of the Royal Air Force, at other times a strict policy of neutrality was followed as Egypt maintained its official neutrality until very late in the war. As a result, few additional aircraft were supplied by Britain, however the arm did receive its first modern fighters,
Hawker Hurricanes and a small number of
Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks. In the immediate post-war period, cheap war surplus aircraft, including a large number of
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXs were acquired. A 1946 order of battle for the Air Force can be found in ''Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II,'' listing Nos 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 Squadrons at
Almaza Air Base, and No. 2 Squadron at
Edku.
1948 Arab–Israeli War and the
USSR clockwise:
MiG-17F,
MiG-15bis,
Il-28,
Yak-11,
Zlin 226, and two
Mi-1 helicopters. Following the British withdrawal from the British Protectorate of
Palestine and the establishment of the
State of Israel on 14 May 1948, Egyptian forces crossed into Palestine as part of a wider
Arab League military coalition in support of the Palestinians against the Israelis. The Egyptian Air Force contribution included the
Short Stirling bomber,
Douglas C-47 Dakotas performing as light bombers and
Spitfires. Two Israeli aircraft were shot down and on 22 May 1948, Egyptian Spitfires attacked the
RAF Ramat David airfield, believing that it had already been taken over by Israeli forces. The first raid surprised the British, and resulted in the destruction of several RAF aircraft on the ground, and the deaths of four airmen. The British were uncertain whether the attacking Spitfires had come from Arab or Israeli forces. When second and third raids followed shortly afterwards, the British were ready and the entire Egyptian force was shot down – the last aircraft being baited for some time as the RAF pilots attempted to get a close look at its markings. Relations with Britain were soon restored and the official state of war with Israel ensured that arms purchases continued. New Spitfire Mk. 22s were purchased to replace the earlier models. In late 1949, Egypt received its first jet fighter, the British
Gloster Meteor F4 and shortly after
de Havilland Vampire FB5s.
Republican Egypt (Egyptian Air Force) In 1955, Egypt made an agreement to buy heavy arms from
Czechoslovakia, culminating four years of attempts. The Egyptian Government was determined to move away from reliance on British armaments. 1951 discussions had included 60–100
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighters. Initial Soviet bloc deliveries included the
MiG-15s,
Ilyushin Il-28 bombers,
Ilyushin Il-14 transports, and
Yak-11 trainers. Instructors from
Czechoslovakia accompanied these aircraft. Egypt also began manufacturing its own Czechoslovak-designed
Heliopolis Gomhouria (originally the German Bü 181 Bestmann) primary trainers at this time.
Suez Crisis After the Egyptian Government's nationalisation of the
Suez Canal in 1956, Egypt was attacked by
Israel, France, and the United Kingdom in what came to be known as the
Suez Crisis ("Tripartite Aggression" in Egypt). Heavy losses were sustained by the Egyptian side. After U.S. pressure, the French and British withdrew their forces after seizing the city of
Suez. The war also forced the EAF to begin rebuilding without British help. In 1958, Egypt merged with
Syria to form the
United Arab Republic, and the previously separate Egyptian and Syrian forces were combined as the United Arab Republic Air Force. Though Syria left the union in 1961, Egypt continued to use the union's official name until 1971, including for its air force. , over Cairo during a parade in September 1956. One of the first Egyptian
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 units was the 15th Air Brigade, consisting of Nos 20 and 21 Squadrons, which became operational at
Fayid with a forward location at Milayz in the early 1960s. By the mid-1960s, British aircraft had been replaced completely by Soviet hardware. The
Soviet Union became the principal supplier of the EAF, and many other Arab states. This allowed the EAF to greatly modernise and boost its combat effectiveness. The
MiG-21 Fishbed arrived in the early 1960s, bringing with it a Mach 2 capability. The MiG-21 would remain Egypt's primary fighter for the next two decades. The EAF also began flying the
Sukhoi Su-7 fighter/bomber in the mid-1960s. By 1966, Air Group 65, with its primary base at
Cairo West Air Base, was operating three squadrons of
Tupolev Tu-16 "Badgers": No. 34 and 36 Squadrons with bomber variants, and No. 95 Squadron equipped with the Tu-16KS' that could carry
AS-1 Kennel air-to-surface missiles. In 1967, Egypt had 200 MiG-21s. Egypt also took over the
Helwan HA-300 from Spain as its first supersonic aircraft. It never went beyond three prototypes and initial test flights, then was abandoned due to high costs and political factors. The German designers involved had to leave Egypt after
death threats from the Israeli intelligence agency
Mossad.
Yemen War The Yemeni Royalist side received support from
Saudi Arabia and
Jordan, while the Yemeni Republicans were supported by Egypt. The fighting was fierce, featuring heavy urban combat as well as battles in the countryside. Both foreign irregular and conventional forces were also involved. Strategically, the Yemen War was an opportunity for Israel. It stagnated Egyptian military plans for the reinforcement of Sinai, by shifting the Egyptian military focus to another theater of operation. Egyptian historian Mohammed Heikal writes that Israel provided arms shipments and also cultivated relationships with hundreds of European mercenaries fighting for the Royalists in Yemen. Israel established a covert air-supply bridge from
Djibouti to North Yemen. The war also gave the Israelis the opportunity to assess Egyptian combat tactics and adaptability. Egyptian air and naval forces began bombing and shelling raids in the Saudi southwestern city of Najran and the coastal town of Jizan, which were staging points for royalist forces. In response, the Saudis purchased British
Thunderbird surface-to-air missiles and developed
their King Khalid airfield near
Khamis Mushait. Riyadh also attempted to convince the United States to respond on its behalf. In Operation Hard Surface, President Kennedy sent jet fighters and bombers to
Dhahran Air Base from May 1963, demonstrating to Egypt the seriousness of his commitment to defending U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia.
Six-Day War In the 1967
Six-Day War, the EAF's combat capacity was severely damaged after the
Israeli Air Force destroyed its air bases in a
preemptive strike codenamed
Operation Focus. During the last four days, the EAF conducted only 150 sorties against Israeli units throughout the Sinai. After the war, the
Soviet Union replenished EAF stocks, sending large numbers of aircraft and advisors to Egypt to revitalise the EAF. The EAF's first air-to-air victory is claimed by MiG-21 pilot Nabil Shoukry against a Mirage IIICJ fighter over Inchas air base two hours following the first Israeli strike. On 8 June 1967, a pair of Egyptian MiG-21s engaged a pair of Mirage IIIs over the Sinai. In the ensuing dogfight, the EAF's 1st Lt Fakhry El-Ashmawy managed to down one of the Mirage fighters while the second Mirage crashed from fuel exhaustion. Initial Egyptian claims were even more inflated, but were later reduced to 72 Israeli aircraft destroyed. The IDF/AF admitted 45 losses on all fronts, while outside observers put the figure between 55 and 60. Years later, unofficial Israeli sources admitted ten IDF/AF aircraft downed in air combat on all fronts. Independent sources put this figure at 11, plus another resulting in fuel exhaustion. In fact, several Israeli aircraft reportedly downed by ground fire probably fell to Egyptian fighters.
Nigerian Civil War During the
Nigerian Civil War, Nigeria received air support from pilots of the Egyptian Air Force, who launched air raids against the self-declared republic of
Biafra. The Egyptian pilots flew aircraft procured by the Soviet Union, air force
Mikoyan MiG-17 fighters and
Ilyushin Il-28 bombers.
War of Attrition over the
Mediterranean Sea, 1972 The years between 1967 and 1970 involved a prolonged campaign of attrition against Israel. The EAF went through a massive construction program to build new air bases in order to increase its survivability. During this period, Egypt also received replacements for losses it suffered during the Six-Day War. The EAF was the first branch of the Egyptian armed forces to achieve full combat readiness. On 15 July 1967, six Israeli
Mirage III fighters violated Egyptian airspace and orders were given for two formations each consisted of two MiG-21 fighters to intercept, another formation of 2 MiGs piloted by Major Fawzy Salama & Lieutenant Medhat Zaki was ready in West Cairo airbase. Indeed, the formation took off, but for protecting the airbase rather than supporting the interception.
Yom Kippur War During the initial surprise air attack of the
Yom Kippur War, over 220 EAF aircraft took part. Unlike their Syrian counterparts, EAF aircraft evaded Israeli radars by flying below detection height. EAF aircraft were held in reserve after that point, mainly concentrating on airfield defence in conjunction with the
SA-3 'Goa', while the more mobile
SA-6 'Gainful' protected Egyptian forces at low and medium level, aided by the
ZSU-23-4 and shoulder-held
SA-7 SAMs. Despite these limitations, the EAF conducted offensive sorties from time to time. The Su-7BM was used for quick strafe attacks on Israeli columns and the Mirage IIIE (sometimes confused with the Mirage 5), donated by Libya, carried out long-range attacks deep inside Sinai at
Bir Gifgafa. However, when Israeli armoured forces used a gap between the two Egyptian armies to cross the
Suez Canal (Operation Stouthearted Men), they destroyed several Egyptian SAM sites, forcing the EAF into battle against the IAF. The EAF claimed victories and continued to contest IAF operations, while also launching attacks on Israeli ground forces on the East Bank of the Suez Canal. In most of these engagements, Egyptian MiG-21s (of all types) challenged Israeli Mirage IIICJs or Neshers. The IAF did not operate freely and did not have complete air supremacy it enjoyed during the previous conflict, the 1967 war. Egyptian MiGs were used with better efficiency than before which included the tactics and lessons learned from the 1967 war. It was during this war that the EAF applied the lessons it earlier learnt from the Israelis. A 32-year-old deputy MiG-21 regiment commander who has been flying since he was 15 recalls: "During the war of attrition, the Israeli air force had a favorite ambush tactic", he told
Aviation Week and Space Technology. "They would penetrate with two aircraft at medium altitude where they would be quickly picked up by radar, We would scramble four or eight to attack them. But they had another dozen fighters trailing at extremely low altitude below radar coverage. As we climbed to the attack they would zoom up behind and surprise us. My regiment lost MiGs to this ambush tactic three times. But we learned the lesson and practiced the same tactics. In the final fights over Deversoir, we ambushed some Mirages the same way, and my own 'finger four'
formation shot down four Mirages with the loss of one MiG." The Egyptian Air Force commander during the war was then-Air Marshal
Hosni Mubarak. On 14 October 1973 one of many Egyptian/Israeli air engagements took place. Initial Egyptian reports that 15 Israeli aircraft had been destroyed. on the day of "
Air battle of Mansoura". Later on, the Egyptian government changed the country's "Air Force Day" from 2 November to 14 October, to commemorate the Mansourah air battle.
Shaba I During the
Shaba I crisis in
Zaire on 1977, Egyptian Air Force provided 50 pilots and technicians, who operated
Mirage jets for the
Zairian Air Force.
Libyan–Egyptian War During the 1977 Libyan–Egyptian War, there were some skirmishes between Libyan and Egyptian fighters. In one instance, two
Libyan Air Force MiG-23MS engaged two EAF MiG-21MFs that had been upgraded to carry Western weaponry. The Libyan pilots made the mistake of trying to manoeuvre with the more nimble Egyptian fighters, and one MiG-23MS was shot down by EAF Maj. Sal Mohammad, while the other Libyan aircraft used its speed advantage to escape.
Camp David Accords and Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty Egyptian president
Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister
Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords, Egypt would receive US$1.3 Billion military aid while Israel would receive US$3.1 Billion in aid. Ever since Egypt signed its peace treaty with Israel, Egypt shifted to American weaponry and drifted away from the Soviet style weapons. In March 1982, Egypt received its first 12 F-16 fighter Jets for its inventory. From 1980, the EAF was involved in the joint U.S.-Egyptian biannual
Exercise Bright Star.
Sinai Insurgency The Egyptian Air Force operated on a large scale during the Sinai insurgency which commenced in 2011.
AH-64 Apache helicopters and
F-16 jet fighters bombed numerous militant targets on almost a daily basis.
Second Libyan Civil War During the
Second Libyan Civil War, there were conflicting reports that Egyptian warplanes bombed Islamist militias in support of the government based in
Tobruk. The foreign ministry denied any involvement in the conflict although unnamed Egyptian military officials claimed otherwise.
Egypt tightened security on Libyan border following mysterious air strikes. Egyptian forces near the Libyan border have been put on high alert following airstrikes on Jan 10 from unidentified fighter jets inside Libya. The fighter jets struck Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) targets inside Libya, according to news reports. The Libyan coastal city of Sirte has served as ISIL's capital in North Africa since the terror group seized the city last summer. After receiving three
MiG-21MFs and three
Mi-8s from Egypt just half a year ago, it appears the
Libyan Air Force is now further strengthened by two MiG-21MFs from the same source. The former EAF mounts are a welcome addition to the under-equipped Libyan Air Force, which is currently waging a war against Libya Dawn,
Ansar al-Sharia and even the
Islamic State, the latter centered around the Libyan city of
Derna. On 6 March 2016, Egypt and France began on Sunday a joint military exercise termed as the "Ramses-2016" in the coastal city of
Alexandria along the Mediterranean. The French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Charles de Gaulle is steaming through the Red Sea on its way to the Mediterranean via the
Suez Canal for joint maneuvers with the Egyptian air force and
navy in preparation for a reduced coalition offensive against Islamic State's deepening grip on Libya.
2015 Airstrikes in Libya The February 2015, Egyptian airstrikes in Libya against
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) positions in
Libya took place on 16 February 2015, and were triggered by a video released by ISIL in Libya a day earlier, depicting the
beheading of 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt. Within hours, the Egyptian Air Force responded with airstrikes against ISIL training camps and weapons stockpiles in retaliation for the killings. Warplanes acting under orders from the Libyan government also struck targets in
Derna, reportedly in coordination with Egypt. It is believed that more than eight EAF F-16 jet fighters were used for the strikes, including the newly joined "block 52" variants. The airstrikes had allegedly killed up to 81 ISIL militants, including three of the leadership, in the coastal cities of Derna and
Sirte. Libyan media reported that at least 35 more Egyptians had been rounded up by ISIL in retaliation for the air raids.
2015 Military Intervention in Yemen Egyptian Air Forces are participating in a Saudi-led joint regional military operation to halt the advance of Houthi rebels in Yemen, Egypt's presidency announced on 2015 March 25 in a statement. the Egyptian Air Force participated in airstrikes against
Houthis in Yemen. Egypt's military participation "through elements of the Egyptian air and navy forces" aims to support the Saudi-led regional coalition to restore stability in Yemen "under legitimate leadership", according to the Egyptian presidency's statement. The Egyptian air force supported pro-government forces when they attacked
Al Anad Air Base in the south of Yemen. "EAF and paratroopers aerial supported Yemeni ground forces who have now seized the military base killing scores of Houthi rebels".
2017 Airstrikes in Libya On May 26, 2017, armed men traveling in pickup trucks gunned down 28 Coptic Christians and wounded 26 as the Christians were on their way to visit a monastery in Egypt's Minya province, The
Islamic State claimed responsibility for this attack. That same evening, Egypt announced that its air force had carried out six air raids on ISIS camps near the Libyan city of Derna. The strikes involved
F-16C/D Block 52s covered by at least two
Dassault Rafales. ==Structure==