Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force, founded in 1932 with five British light aircraft at Almaza, has fought more wars than almost any air force in the Arab world — destroyed on the ground in 1967, back in the fight by 1973 — and today flies one of the world’s largest F-16 fleets alongside French Rafales and Russian MiG-29Ms, bought from three suppliers so that no single one can ground it.
The Egyptian Air Force story: five Moths at Almaza, the morning of 5 June 1967 and a fleet from three suppliers
1930–1956: from five Moths at Almaza to Suez
King Fuad I announced an air arm for the Egyptian army on 2 November 1930, and the air force dates itself to May 1932, when five modified de Havilland Moths arrived from England and settled at Almaza outside Cairo. It became the independent Royal Egyptian Air Force in 1937. Its first war, in 1948, went badly. Spitfires bombed Tel Aviv on 15 and 18 May (Wikipedia gives 42 killed at the central bus station on 18 May), and on 22 May the REAF attacked RAF Ramat David in the belief that Israel already held it: four British airmen died and the RAF shot down five Egyptian fighters. Jets came late in 1949 with the Gloster Meteor, then the Vampire; the 1955 Czechoslovak arms deal brought MiG-15s and Il-28s. In 1956 Anglo-French bombing from 31 October destroyed much of that new fleet on the ground, and on 1 November Nasser ordered his pilots to disperse to the south.
1956–1967: Soviet jets, Yemen and the morning of 5 June
The Soviet Union rebuilt the force. By 1967, by Wikipedia’s count, Egypt had received 235 MiG-21s and 40 trainers, alongside MiG-17s, MiG-19s, Su-7s, Il-28s and Tu-16 bombers, and it had bought the Spanish-German HA-300 supersonic fighter project, which flew in 1964 but never went beyond three prototypes. From 1962 the air force supported Egypt’s intervention in the North Yemen civil war and bombed the Saudi border town of Najran; reports of poison-gas attacks on Yemeni villages, about which the Red Cross expressed concern, were denied by Egypt. On the morning of 5 June 1967 Israel’s Operation Focus caught most of the air force on its airfields. Israeli figures in Wikipedia count 338 Egyptian aircraft destroyed in the war; Egypt’s own air defences had been switched off for Field Marshal Amer’s flight from Almaza that morning.
1967–1973: rebuilding under the missile umbrella
What followed is the part of its history the air force celebrates. During the War of Attrition (1967–1970) it rebuilt with Soviet aircraft and, from 1970, Soviet air-defence units on Egyptian soil, while Israeli deep raids reached the Nile Valley until the Bahr el-Baqar school bombing of 8 April 1970. At 14:00 on 6 October 1973 more than 200 Egyptian aircraft struck Israeli positions in Sinai; Egypt acknowledged five lost, while Kenneth Pollack put the figure at 18. On 14 October Egyptian MiG-21s met an Israeli raid on the Mansoura and Tanta airfields. Egyptian accounts claim a decisive victory, and 14 October has been Air Force Day ever since; Israeli accounts claim the opposite. The commander through the war was Hosni Mubarak, later president.
1974–2015: the turn to Washington and Paris
After 1973 Sadat broke with Moscow. Egypt bought French Mirage 5s and about 80 Chinese J-7s, and from 1977 took 35 ex-USAF F-4E Phantoms under Peace Pharaoh — a hard transition, with only about nine serviceable in 1982 according to Wikipedia. In July 1977 the air force fought a four-day war with Libya. Peace with Israel brought American aid, and the F-16 arrived in March 1982. Seven Peace Vector programmes delivered 240 F-16s between 1982 and 2015, including 46 built in Turkey, alongside Mirage 2000s, E-2C Hawkeyes, Apaches, C-130s and Alpha Jets. The single-supplier problem resurfaced in July 2013, when Washington paused F-16 deliveries after the military removed President Mohamed Morsi; they resumed in 2015.
2011–2026: Sinai, Libya, Sudan and a three-supplier fleet
That pause shaped today’s fleet. In 2015 Egypt became the first export customer for both the Dassault Rafale (24 ordered on 16 February) and the MiG-29M (46 ordered in April), and bought 46 Ka-52 helicopters; a further 30 Rafales followed in 2021. A Su-35 order, reported in 2019, was reported cancelled after US sanctions warnings, and talks on F-15s were still unresolved in late 2025. The same decade brought almost continuous combat: Apache and F-16 strikes in North Sinai from 2011 until the government declared the insurgency over in January 2023, and strikes on Islamic State targets in Derna, Libya, in February 2015 and May 2017. Wikipedia lists Egypt among the states that sent aircraft to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in 2015. In Sudan, its personnel were captured at Merowe in April 2023, and in 2024 the RSF accused it of air strikes, which Cairo denied.
The Egyptian Air Force in numbers
Servicio
- Nombre nativo
- القوات الجوية المصريةAl-Quwwat al-Jawiyya al-Misriyya, the Arabic name used by Arabic Wikipedia. The official Ministry of Defence site (mod.gov.eg) could not be reached to confirm its spelling
- Fundado
- 1932King Fuad I announced an Egyptian Army Air Force on 2 November 1930; the five modified aircraft that formed it arrived from England in May 1932, the date English Wikipedia treats as the founding. It became the independent Royal Egyptian Air Force in 1937. Arabic Wikipedia gives a different 1930 date
- Parte de
- Egyptian Armed ForcesOne of the services under the Ministry of Defence and the General Command of the Armed Forces; air defence is a separate branch
- Sede
- CairoEnglish Wikipedia places the headquarters at Heliopolis, Cairo
- Comandante
- Amr SaqrNamed as commander by Egypt Independent on 19 February 2026; appointment date and rank not confirmed. His predecessor Mahmoud Fouad Abdel-Gawad was appointed on 14 August 2022
- Día de la Fuerza Aérea
- 14 OctoberMarks the air battle over Mansoura on 14 October 1973
Fortaleza
- Personal
- About 30,000 activeEnglish Wikipedia’s figure, including about 10,000 conscripts, plus about 20,000 reserves. The IISS Military Balance was not consulted directly
- Aviones de combate
-
- F-16C/D Fighting Falcon — about 218–220 (240 delivered)
- Rafale DM/EM — about 42 delivered of 54 ordered
- MiG-29M/M2 — 46 ordered, about 45 in service
- Mirage 2000EM/BM — about 18
- Mirage 5 — status unclear
Counts differ between sources; see the fleet table for each range
- Transporte y misión especial
-
- C-130H/H-30 Hercules — about 25
- C-295M — 20–24
- E-2C Hawkeye — 7–8
- Il-76MF — 2
Il-76MF from Jordan in 2019; two C-130J-30 ordered in 2024
- Helicópteros
-
- AH-64 Apache — 45–46
- Ka-52 — 46 ordered
- Mi-8/Mi-17 — about 43
- CH-47 Chinook — 19–24
- SA342 Gazelle — about 48
Counts from English Wikipedia and its aircraft list; they disagree on several types
- Zapatos de deporte
-
- Alpha Jet — 44–53
- K-8E — 30–120
- Grob G 115 — about 74
- EMB-312 Tucano — about 14
The two Wikipedia pages differ sharply on trainer numbers, probably because older counts include stored aircraft
- Drones
- Chinese, Egyptian and Western typesEnglish Wikipedia lists Wing Loong I and II, CH-5, ASN-209 and Egyptian-built designs; numbers are not published
Infraestructura
- First air base
- Almaza, Cairo (1932)Where the first five aircraft were based. Field Marshal Amer took off from Almaza on the morning of 5 June 1967
- Airfields hit on 5 June 1967
- 11 in the first waveIsraeli figures in Wikipedia: 11 bases in the first wave and 14 Egyptian bases in the second
- Western gateway
- Marsa MatruhThe departure point for the July 1977 raids on Libya; Wikipedia also says the February 2015 strike aircraft flew via Marsa Matruh
- Phantom base
- Cairo West (until 2018)Home of the 222nd Fighter Regiment’s two F-4E squadrons until their retirement, according to Wikipedia
- Industry
- Arab Organization for IndustrializationThe AOI announced local manufacture of Rafale components in December 2025; Helwan built the HA-300 prototypes in the 1960s
How the Egyptian Air Force is organised
One service of the Egyptian Armed Forces, separate from the air defence branch, with its headquarters at Heliopolis in Cairo and its Air Academy at Bilbeis. Three fighters make up the front line — about 218–220 F-16s, about 42 Rafales with 12 more to come and about 45 MiG-29M/M2s — bought from the United States, France and Russia. Egypt has not published which squadrons fly from which bases, so no current units are assigned to bases here.
Egyptian Air Force
One of the services of the Egyptian Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence and the General Command; air defence is a separate branch. Egypt Independent named Amr Saqr as commander on 19 February 2026, while English Wikipedia still listed him as Chief of Air Staff and Air Marshal Mahmoud Fouad Abdel-Gawad, appointed by presidential decree on 14 August 2022, as commander; Saqr’s rank and the date of his appointment were not confirmed.
Fighter force
Three types bought from three suppliers: about 218–220 F-16C/Ds from seven Peace Vector programmes, about 42 Rafales of 54 ordered and about 45 MiG-29M/M2s of 46 ordered, alongside about 18 Mirage 2000EM/BMs; whether the older Mirage 5s remain in service is unclear. Egypt has not published which squadrons fly them from which bases.
Airborne early warning and airlift
Seven or eight E-2C Hawkeyes for airborne early warning; about 25 C-130H and C-130H-30 Hercules, which flew Egypt’s share of the 2024 airdrops over Gaza, 20–24 C-295Ms, two Il-76MFs from Jordan and three An-74s. Two C-130J-30s were ordered in 2024. Almaza is the transport and VIP base; squadron assignments are not published.
Attack and transport helicopters
45–46 AH-64 Apaches, which carried much of the war in North Sinai, 46 Ka-52s ordered in 2015 and Mi-24s, with about 43 Mi-8/Mi-17s, 19–24 CH-47 Chinooks, about 48 Gazelles, Commandos and AW109, AW139, AW149 and AW189s for transport. English Wikipedia says hangars at Kibrit still house a helicopter unit; other assignments are not published.
Egyptian Air Academy
A college of the Egyptian Military Academy near Bilbeis, authorised in 1951 when Almaza had become too small; cadets are split into pilot and navigator streams. The trainer fleet includes Alpha Jets, K-8Es, L-39s and L-59Es, Tucanos and about 74 Grob G 115s, though Wikipedia’s two pages differ sharply on the numbers.
What the Egyptian Air Force flies today
Cada tipo está sujeto a cargos, vinculado a su página en el Libro de las Bestias, cuando existe. Las cifras corresponden a aeronaves registradas, no a aeronaves disponibles en un día determinado.
| Tipo | Role | En servicio | Desde | Unidades | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin (General Dynamics) F-16C/D Fighting FalconEn servicio | luchador polivalente | 218 | 1982 | Range 218–220.
Más240 delivered in seven Peace Vector programmes (F-16.net); F-16.net gives about 220 in service and English Wikipedia’s aircraft list 218 (32 F-16A, 8 F-16B, 136 F-16C, 42 F-16D) citing FlightGlobal 2023. The main Wikipedia article’s figure of 220 includes about 50 listed separately as trainers. |
||
| Dassault Rafale DM/EMEn servicio | luchador polivalente | 42 | 2015 | Range 42–43. Egypt Independent reported in December 2025 that 18 of the 30 Rafales ordered in 2021 had arrived and 12 were still to come; with the 24 of the first order that gives 42.
MásEnglish Wikipedia lists 43 and says all are to be brought to F4.2 standard. |
||
| Mikoyan MiG-29M/M2En servicio | luchador polivalente | 45 | 2017 | 46 ordered; English Wikipedia lists 45 in service. One crashed on 3 November 2018 (pilot ejected); the condition of aircraft caught at Merowe in Sudan in April 2023 is unclear. | ||
| Dassault Mirage 2000EM/BMEn servicio | Combatiente | 18 | 15 single-seat EM and 3 two-seat BM in English Wikipedia’s aircraft list (FlightGlobal 2023); the main article lists 18 under trainers. | |||
| Dassault Mirage 5SDE/5SDR/5E2/5SDDEn servicio | cazabombardero | 1974 | Status uncertain.
MásWikipedia’s aircraft list (FlightGlobal 2023) shows 82 across four versions; the main Wikipedia article’s 2026 table does not list the type, and Egypt reportedly discussed selling surplus airframes to Pakistan in 2019. |
|||
| Northrop Grumman E-2C HawkeyeEn servicio | alerta temprana aérea | 7 | 7 in the main Wikipedia article, 8 in its aircraft list. | |||
| Lockheed C-130H/C-130H-30 HérculesEn servicio | Transporte táctico | 25 | 1976 | About 22 C-130H and 3 C-130H-30 according to defenceWeb (2024); Wikipedia gives 20, two of them for electronic intelligence. | ||
| Airbus (CASA) C-295MEn servicio | Transporte táctico | 24 | 24 per defenceWeb and the main Wikipedia article; 20 in Wikipedia’s aircraft list. | |||
| Ilyushin Il-76MFEn servicio | Transporte pesado | 2 | 2019 | Two, ex-Jordan International Air Cargo; defenceWeb says Egypt sought up to eight. | ||
| Antonov An-74TK-200AEn servicio | Transporte | 3 | 3 in the main Wikipedia article; defenceWeb says ’several’. | |||
| Boeing AH-64D/E ApacheEn servicio | Helicóptero de ataque | 45 | 45 (main Wikipedia article, listed as AH-64E) to 46 (Wikipedia aircraft list, as AH-64D). | |||
| Kamov Ka-52 AlligatorEn servicio | Helicóptero de ataque | 46 | 2017 | 46 ordered in 2015; 19 had arrived by the end of 2017. Completion of deliveries was not confirmed. | ||
| Mil Mi-24V/Mi-35En servicio | Helicóptero de ataque | 13 | 13 Mi-24V in the main Wikipedia article; 14 Mi-35 in the aircraft list. | |||
| Mil Mi-8T/Mi-17-1VEn servicio | Helicóptero utilitario | 43 | About 43 combined, per the main Wikipedia article. | |||
| Boeing CH-47C/D/F ChinookEn servicio | Helicóptero de carga pesada | 24 | Range 19–24: 24 in the main Wikipedia article, 19 in its aircraft list. | |||
| Sikorsky UH-60 Black HawkEn servicio | Helicópteros utilitarios y VIP | Range 4–26: the main Wikipedia article lists 4 UH-60L for VIP transport, its aircraft list 26 of several versions. | ||||
| Aérospatiale SA342K/L GazelleEn servicio | Scout and anti-armour helicopter | 48 | About 48 combined, per the main Wikipedia article. | |||
| Westland Commando Mk 1/2En servicio | Helicóptero de transporte | 22 | 22 in the main Wikipedia article; 28 in its aircraft list. | |||
| AgustaWestland AW109, AW139, AW149 and AW189En servicio | Utility, SAR and VIP helicopters | 20 | 3 AW109, 4 AW139, 5 AW149 and 8 AW189 in the main Wikipedia article. | |||
| Dassault/Dornier Alpha JetEn servicio | Entrenador avanzado y ataque ligero | 44 | Range 44–53 between Wikipedia’s two pages. | |||
| Hongdu K-8E KarakorumEn servicio | Entrenador a reacción | Range 30–120: 30 in the main Wikipedia article, 120 in its aircraft list. The gap is unexplained. | ||||
| Aero L-39 Albatros / L-59E Super AlbatrosEn servicio | Entrenador a reacción | 11 L-39 in the main Wikipedia article; 48 L-59E in its aircraft list. | ||||
| Embraer EMB-312 TucanoEn servicio | Entrenador básico | 14 | About 14, per the main Wikipedia article. | |||
| Grob G 115En servicio | Entrenador principal | 74 | About 74, per the main Wikipedia article. | |||
| CAIG Wing Loong I/II and other dronesEn servicio | Armed and reconnaissance drones |
Bajo pedido
| Tipo | Ordenado | Primera entrega | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dassault RafaleBajo pedido | 12 | 2021 | The balance of the 30 ordered in 2021, as counted by Egypt Independent in December 2025. Wikipedia expected them by the end of 2026.
MásThe value was reported as about 4 billion euros; neither figure was confirmed by Dassault or the Egyptian government in the sources checked. |
|
| Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super HerculesBajo pedido | 2 | Confirmed by Lockheed Martin at the Egypt International Air Show in September 2024, after a 2022 US approval for up to 12.
MásEnglish Wikipedia says two were delivered in 2026; that delivery was not confirmed in another source. |
Every type the Egyptian Air Force has retired
23 types, from the de Havilland Moth (modified) to the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II. Las cifras máximas corresponden a las aeronaves puestas en servicio durante toda su vida útil, no al número total de efectivos de la flota en una fecha concreta.
| Tipo | Role | Cima | Servido | Reemplazado por | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II | cazabombardero | 35 | 1977–2018 | F-16 | 35 ex-USAF under Peace Pharaoh from 1977, seven more in 1988. | |
| Helwan HA-300 | Supersonic fighter prototype | 3 | 1964–1969 | Three prototypes; only two flew. | ||
| Aero L-29 Delfín | Entrenador a reacción | Wikipedia’s aircraft list still shows 120 (FlightGlobal 2023); the main article no longer lists the type. | ||||
| de Havilland Moth (modified) | First aircraft | 5 | 1932– | Five. | ||
| Gladiador Gloster | Combatiente | |||||
| Huracán Hawker | Combatiente | |||||
| Supermarine Spitfire | Combatiente | Gloster Meteor, de Havilland Vampire | ||||
| Stirling corto | Bombardeo | 1948– | ||||
| Douglas C-47 Dakota | Transport and improvised bomber | 1948– | ||||
| Gloster Meteor F4 | caza a reacción | 1949– | ||||
| de Havilland Vampire FB5 | cazabombardero a reacción | |||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 | caza a reacción | 1955– | ||||
| Ilyushin Il-28 | Bombardero ligero | 1955– | ||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F | cazabombardero | |||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19SF | Combatiente | |||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 | Interceptador | 235 | F-16 | 235 fighters and 40 MiG-21U trainers received by 1967; after the war a further 75 MiG-21PFS (1970), 12 MiG-21M, 110 MiG-21MF, 24 MiG-21US and some MiG-21UM (Wikipedia). | ||
| Chengdu J-7 (F-7) | Combatiente | 80 | About 80, per Wikipedia’s MiG-21 operators list; the J-7 article itself does not list Egypt. | |||
| Sukhoi Su-7 | cazabombardero | |||||
| Sukhoi Su-20 | cazabombardero | |||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23B family | cazabombardero | |||||
| Tupolev Tu-16 | Bombardeo | |||||
| Ilyushin Il-14 | Transporte | |||||
| Yakovlev Yak-11 | Entrenador |
Where the Egyptian Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases. Many of today’s bases began as RAF stations of the British period, among them Almaza, Cairo West, Abu Suweir, Fayid and Kibrit; Abu Suweir was the last handed to Egypt, in April 1956. Fayid was held by Israel from October 1973 to February 1974, and Bir Gifgafa, Israeli Refidim from 1968 to 1979, is now a dual military and civil airport, according to English Wikipedia. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | OACI | Estado | Pista | Unidades y aeronaves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu SuweirIsmailia Governorate | Activo |
|
||
| AlmazaCairo Governorate | HEAZ | Activo | 18/361.870 metroshard05/231,240 m |
|
| Beni SuefBeni Suef Governorate | Activo | |||
| Berenice Military BaseRed Sea Governorate | Activo | |||
| BilbeisEgyptian Air AcademySharqia Governorate | Activo | |||
| Bir GifgafaRefidimNorth Sinai Governorate | Activo | |||
| Cairo WestGiza Governorate | HECW | Activo | 16/342,974 mhard10/282.781 m02/202,655 m |
|
| El MansouraDakahlia Governorate | Activo | |||
| FayidIsmailia Governorate | Activo | |||
| JiyanklisBeheira Governorate | Activo | |||
| KibritSuez Governorate | Activo |
|
Ninguna base aérea coincide con esa búsqueda.
Who is stationed where in the Egyptian Air Force
Flying units by base. Egypt does not publish its current squadron assignments, so the Egyptian units listed are historical: 76 and 78 Squadrons of 222 Fighter Regiment, which flew F-4E Phantoms from Cairo West until their retirement by 2018, and No. 20 Squadron’s MiG-15s at Kibrit in 1956. RAF and RAAF units of the British period are listed and marked as not part of the Egyptian Air Force. Where a unit rests on English Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.
- No. 76 Squadron (222 Fighter Regiment)
- F-4E Phantom II
- No. 78 Squadron (222 Fighter Regiment)
- F-4E Phantom II
- No. 216 Squadron RAF
- Transport aircraft
- No. 45 Squadron RAF1921–1922
- No. 451 Squadron RAAF1943–1944
- No. 4 Flying Training School RAF1921–
- No. 20 Squadron, Egyptian Air Force
- MiG-15
No se encontró ninguna unidad que coincida con esa búsqueda.
Egyptian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
May: five modified de Havilland Moths arrive from England and are based at Almaza, under a decree of 2 November 1930.
The air arm separates from the army as the Royal Egyptian Air Force.
15 and 18 May: Spitfires bomb Tel Aviv. 22 May: three raids on RAF Ramat David; five Egyptian fighters shot down.
The Czechoslovak arms deal brings MiG-15s and Il-28s, after the first jets, Gloster Meteors, arrived in late 1949.
31 October: Anglo-French air attacks begin. 1 November: Nasser orders his pilots to disperse to the south.
September: Egyptian forces begin a five-year intervention in the North Yemen civil war.
7 March: first flight of the Helwan HA-300.
5 June: Israel’s Operation Focus strikes Egyptian airfields from 07:45.
7 January–13 April: Israeli deep raids. 7 August: ceasefire ends the War of Attrition.
6 October: more than 200 aircraft open the war at 14:00. 14 October: the Mansoura air battle, later Air Force Day.
21–24 July: raids on Gamal Abdel Nasser Air Base in the war with Libya. Peace Pharaoh F-4E deal.
16 March: the first F-16s arrive in Egypt.
16 February: F-16 strikes on Derna, Libya, and the Rafale contract. April: 46 MiG-29M/M2 ordered.
April: first MiG-29Ms. 26–27 May: strikes on Derna. July: first Ka-52s.
May: 30 more Rafales ordered.
25 January: the government declares terrorism in North Sinai ended. 15 April: Egyptian personnel captured by the RSF at Merowe, Sudan.
March–July: airdrops of aid over Gaza. September: two C-130J-30s ordered.
April: Eagles of Civilization, the first air drill with China. December: 18 of the second batch of 30 Rafales delivered.
Every war the Egyptian Air Force has fought
Salidas y pérdidas donde consta en el registro, y un espacio en blanco honesto donde no.
- The 1948 Arab–Israeli War 1948–1949 Bombed Israeli towns and supported the Egyptian army advance; attacked RAF Ramat David in error
- La crisis de Suez 1956 Fought Israeli aircraft over Sinai, then was largely destroyed on the ground by British and French bombing
- The North Yemen civil war 1962–1967 Close support and bombing for Egyptian and republican forces against the royalists; strikes on Saudi border towns
- La Guerra de los Seis Días 1967 Caught on the ground by Operation Focus; the surviving aircraft flew a small number of sorties
- The War of Attrition 1967–1970 Rebuilt and fought along the canal while Soviet units took over much of the air defence from 1970
The Egyptian Air Force display team
Each team has its own page: history, aircraft, the display, the accidents and the sources.
Egyptian Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Egyptian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Esta lista se actualiza automáticamente: las nuevas historias de Afterburner aparecen aquí de forma automática.
Everything people ask about the Egyptian Air Force
What is the Egyptian Air Force called in Arabic?
Which fighter jets does the Egyptian Air Force fly?
How many F-16s does Egypt have?
Did Egypt buy the Su-35?
Is Egypt buying the Chinese J-10C?
What happened to the Egyptian Air Force in 1967?
Why is 14 October Egyptian Air Force Day?
When was the Egyptian Air Force founded?
Has Egypt carried out air strikes in Libya?
Who commands the Egyptian Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Egyptian Air Force flew
Cada tipo tiene una página en el Libro de las Bestias, primero en servicio y luego por el año en que abandonó la flota.
Todos los datos, verificados
- Egypt Independent: President Sisi appoints new Air Force commander (14 August 2022)Presidential decree appointing Maj. Gen. Pilot Mahmoud Fouad Abdel-Gawad.
- Egypt Independent: Egypt appoints new Air Force commander (22 June 2018)Mohamed Abbas Helmy appointed commander.
- Egypt Independent: Egyptian, Turkish air force commanders discuss issues of mutual interest (19 February 2026)Names Amr Saqr as Egyptian Air Force Commander, meeting Turkish Air Force Commander Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu at EAF headquarters.
- F-16.net: F-16 Air Forces – EgyptSeven Peace Vector programmes, 240 aircraft; first delivery January 1982, arrival in Egypt 16 March 1982; about 220 in service.
- FlightGlobal: Rafale exports take off with Egyptian delivery (2015)First three Rafales delivered five months after the 24-aircraft contract was signed.
- Egypt Independent: Egypt to begin receiving French Rafale fighter jets this summer: official (27 May 2021)French defence ministry spokesman Hervé Grandjean on the 30-aircraft order.
- Egypt Independent: In a first, Egypt locally manufactures Rafale fighter jet parts (2 December 2025)AOI local manufacture of Rafale parts at EDEX 2025; 18 of the 30 aircraft delivered, 12 to come; latest batch described as F3R.
- The Defense Post: Egypt, US still in talks for F-15 jet deal (10 November 2025)Talks for up to 46 F-15s per Tactical Report; no final agreement; refers to the cancellation of the Su-35 programme.
- Egypt Independent: Is Egypt sending a message to Israel through Chinese and Russian fighter jets? (22 April 2025)First joint Egyptian-Chinese air drill, Eagles of Civilization 2025; Rafale DM18 and DM19 in test for Egypt.
- defenceWeb: Egypt acquires Il-76 transports (2019)Two Il-76MF from Jordan, delivered July 2019; transport fleet listing.
- defenceWeb: Egypt orders two C-130J Super Hercules from Lockheed Martin (5 September 2024)Two C-130J-30 confirmed at the Egypt International Air Show; earlier approval for up to 12 ($2.2 billion, 2022); about 22 C-130H and 3 C-130H-30 delivered 1976–1990; 24 C-295M.
- Ahram Online: The longest battle in North Sinai (2 July 2015)F-16s and Apaches used at Sheikh Zuweid on 1 July 2015; armed forces casualty statement; IS claim of 15 attacks.
- Egypt Independent: Egyptian forces kill 12, mistaking Mexican tourists for militants (14 September 2015)Helicopters and aircraft attacked a tourist convoy near Bahariya; Interior Ministry explanation; Mexico’s demand for an investigation.
- Egypt Independent: Egyptian military source: Six F-16s used in Libya airstrikes (16 February 2015)Six F-16s at dawn on 16 February 2015; coordinated with the Libyan air force; Libyan air force chief’s estimate of 40–50 dead.
- Al Jazeera: Civilians killed as Egypt launches air strikes in Libya (17 February 2015)Egyptian military statement; at least seven civilians killed in Derna per Al Jazeera; Tripoli-based government’s condemnation.
- Egypt Independent: Egypt to UN: Airstrikes in Derna were self-defense (28 May 2017)Letter to the UN Security Council invoking Article 51; strikes of 26–27 May 2017.
- Egypt Independent: Army denies Egyptian officers died in Decisive Storm (14 April 2015)Army spokesman Mohamed Samir denied social-media reports of Egyptian deaths.
- Sudan Tribune: Egypt rejects RSF leader’s claim of military support for Sudanese army (9 October 2024)Hemedti’s claim that Egyptian aircraft bombed RSF forces; Egyptian foreign ministry rejection.
- Egypt Independent: Egypt denies involving its aircraft in ongoing battles in Sudan (10 October 2024)Foreign ministry denial; call for international verification of the evidence.
- Egypt Independent: Egypt, UAE, and Jordan airdrop thousands of tons of aid to Gaza (12 May 2024)Military spokesman Gharib Abdel-Hafez on joint airdrops over northern Gaza.
- SkyVector — Cairo West Airport (HECW)Aeronautical data page: reference point, elevation (528 ft) and three runways. No effective date shown; the national AIP could not be reached.
- SkyVector — Almaza AFB Airport (HEAZ)Aeronautical data page: reference point, elevation (300 ft) and two runways. No effective date shown; the national AIP could not be reached.
- Air of Authority — RAF Stations ARAF Abu Sueir opened September 1917, SHQ disbanded 1 April 1956; RAF Abu Sultan.
- Air of Authority — RAF Stations CRAF Cairo West: opened as Kilo 26 in 1942, renamed LG224 in May 1942 and RAF Cairo West on 1 August 1945, SHQ disbanded 10 December 1946.
- Air of Authority — RAF Stations FRAF Fayid: SHQ opened 1940, disbanded 29 February 1956.
- Air of Authority — RAF Stations KRAF Kabrit: SHQ opened 1941, disbanded 30 April 1955.
- Air of Authority — RAF Stations HRAF Heliopolis opened 1915, SHQ disbanded 15 March 1947.
- Egypt Independent — Egypt’s biggest military base on the Red Sea in details (15 January 2020)Inauguration by President al-Sisi; air component with 3,000 m runways and fortified aircraft shelters; civil airport runway 3,650 m.
- Egypt Independent — Egypt sends 3 planes to Sudan loaded with humanitarian aid presented by AL (22 July 2023)Three military aircraft left Almaza Air Force Base for Port Sudan.
- Egypt Independent — Sisi inaugurates largest military base in the Middle East (22 July 2017)Mohamed Naguib Military Base, later the centre of Bright Star; no airfield described.
- Egypt Independent — Defense Minister attends final stage of Bright Star 2023 military exercise (16 September 2023)Bright Star 2023 centred on Mohamed Naguib Military Base, with "air bases across the country" also used; none named.
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