Egyptian Air Defense Forces

Egyptian Air Defense Forces
قوات الدفاع الجوي المصري
Founded1968 (56 years)
1938–1968 (part of Artillery corps)
Country Egypt
RoleAnti-aircraft warfare
Size80,000 active personnel[1]
70,000 reserve personnel[1]
150,000 total personnel
Part of Egyptian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQCairo, Egypt
Nickname(s)حصن السماء Sky Fortress
Motto(s)إيمان, عزم, مجد Faith, Will, Glory
Marchسلاح الدفاع يرد المغير يصد العدو يلبي النداء
Anniversaries30 June
EngagementsWorld War II
1948 Arab–Israeli War
Suez Crisis
North Yemen Civil War
Six-Day War
War of Attrition
Yom Kippur War
Gulf War
Commanders
Commander, Egyptian Air Defence ForceMajor General Yaser El-Toddy
Chief of StaffMajor General Ehab El-Faioumy
Insignia
Flag
InsigniaEgyptian Army ranks

The Egyptian Air Defence Forces (EADF) (Arabic: قوات الدفاع الجوي, romanizedQuwwat El-Difa' El-Gawwi) is the Anti-aircraft warfare branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. It is responsible for protecting the Egyptian airspace against any hostile air attacks. The EADF was established in accordance with the presidential decree issued on 1 February 1968, which established the Air Defence Forces as the fourth branch, next to the Navy, Egyptian Ground Forces, and Egyptian Air Force. From 1938 onwards air defence forces had been part of the artillery and under the operation command of the Air Force. Egypt has a modern system of air defence armament, which is divided between anti-aircraft missiles long, medium and short-range anti-aircraft artillery systems and early warning radars. Both Western and Soviet bloc countries have supplied equipment.

Officers are mostly graduates of the Egyptian Air Defense Academy, located in Alexandria. The headquarters is in Cairo, and currently the Commander in Chief is Lieutenant General Ali Fahmi[2] and the Chief of Staff is Staff Major General Mohamed Darrag. In 2023 the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated that the EADF consisted of 80,000 active personnel and 70,000 reserve personnel.[1]

  1. ^ a b c International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023. London: Routledge. p. 320. ISBN 9781032508955.
  2. ^ "رئيس أركات قوات الدفاع الجوي". Mod.gov.eg. 24 February 1960. Retrieved 20 May 2020.