The following is a list of the aircraft operated by the Egyptian Air Force throughout its history. Coloured cells denote types that are still in active service.
Contents
The following is a list of the aircraft operated by the Egyptian Air Force throughout its history. Coloured cells denote types that are still in active service.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Number | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aérospatiale Gazelle |  France | Scout | SA-342K SA-342L | 108 | [1] [2] | |
| Boeing CH-47 |  United States | Heavy Lift | CH-47C CH-47D | 3 16 | [1] [2] | |
| Hiller UH-12 | United States | Multipurpose | UH-12E | 18 | [1] [2] | |
| Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite | United States | ASW | SH-2G/E | 13 | [2] | |
| Boeing AH-64 Apache | United States | Attack | AH-64D | 46 | About to get more upgraded | |
| Kamov Ka-52 |  Russia | Attack/Scout | Ka-52 | 46 | Mostly used in navy | |
| Mil Mi-2 |  Poland | Utility | [1] | |||
| Mil Mi-4 |  Soviet Union | Medium Lift | 70 | [1] | ||
| Mil Mi-6 | Soviet Union | Heavy Lift | 20 | [1] [2] | ||
| Mil Mi-8 | Soviet Union | Assault/ Medium Lift | Mi-8T Mi8TVK Mi-8PPA Mi-8MV Mi-8R Mi-8MB Mi-8K | [1] [2] | ||
| Mil Mi-17 | Russia | Assault/ Medium Lift | Mi-17H | 27 | [1] | |
| Sikorsky S-61 | United States | Medium Lift | S-61AD | 2 | 1975- | [1] [2] |
| Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King | United States | ASW/Utility | 28 | |||
| Sikorsky UH-60 | United States | Assault/CSAR | UH-60A UH-60M | 22 4 | [1] [2] | |
| Westland Commando |  United Kingdom | Medium Lift | Mk. 1 Mk. 2 Mk. 2E | 5 19 4 | ; [2] including 2 in Presidential fleet. | |
| Westland Sea King | United Kingdom | ASW | Mk. 47 | 6 | [1] [2] | |
| Westland Dragonfly | United Kingdom | Utility | 2 | [1] | ||
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneered by Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of the aircraft began in 1940, although work on the engines had been under way since 1936. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with No. 616 Squadron RAF. The Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in its aerodynamics, but proved to be a successful combat fighter. Gloster's 1946 civil Meteor F.4 demonstrator G-AIDC was the first civilian-registered jet aircraft in the world. Several major variants of the Meteor incorporated technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to fly with the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades.
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 was license-built in China as the Shenyang J-5 and Poland as the PZL-Mielec Lim-6. The MiG-17 is still being used by the North Korean air force in the present day and has seen combat in the Middle East and Asia.
The Israeli Air Force operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. As of April 2022, Aluf Tomer Bar has been serving as the Air Force commander.
The War of Attrition involved fighting between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and their allies from 1967 to 1970.
The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) (Arabic: القوات الجوية المصرية, romanized: El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all military aircraft, including those used in support of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy and the Egyptian Air Defense Forces. The latter was created as a separate command in the 1970s and it coordinates with the Air Force to integrate air and ground-based air defense operations. The EAF is headed by an air marshal (lieutenant general equivalent). Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Mahmoud Fouad Abdel-Gawad. The force's motto is 'Higher and higher for the sake of glory' (Arabic: إلى العلا في سبيل المجد, I‘la’ al-'olà fī sabīl al-magd). It was known as the Royal Egyptian Air Force until 18 June 1953 following the declaration of the Republic of Egypt by Muhammad Naguib.
The Syrian Air Force, officially the Syrian Arab Air Force, is the air force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It was established in 1948. Land-based air defense systems are grouped under the Syrian Arab Air Defense Force, which split from both the Air Force and the Army.
Royal Air Force Akrotiri, commonly abbreviated RAF Akrotiri is a large Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory, administered as a Sovereign Base Area.
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces.
Number 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 at RAF Lossiemouth. It was previously equipped with the SEPECAT Jaguar GR.3 in the close air support and tactical reconnaissance roles, and was posted to RAF Coltishall, Norfolk until April 2006, moving to RAF Coningsby until disbanding for the first time in its history on 31 May 2007. The squadron officially reformed as a Typhoon squadron on 6 September 2010. No. 6 Squadron is unique in having two Royal standards, having been awarded its second one by King Abdullah I of Jordan in October 1950 due to its long period of service in the Middle East.
Number 30 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Airbus A400M Atlas transport aircraft and is based at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.
The 69 "Hammers" Squadron is an Israeli Air Force squadron operating the F-15I Thunder out of Hatzerim. It was formed in July 1948 to operate three B-17 Flying Fortresses which the fledgling Israeli Air Force had acquired in the United States. The squadron flew the Flying Fortress, an aircraft credited with propelling the IAF into the realm of modern aerial warfare, during both the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and 1956 Suez Crisis. Disbanded in early 1957, 69 Squadron reformed in 1969 to fly the F-4 Phantom II.
The Britten-Norman Defender is a multi-role utility transport aircraft, manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. It is the military version of the Britten-Norman Islander, developed for roles such as utility transport, casualty evacuation, counter-insurgency and light attack, forward air control, patrol and reconnaissance. The term 'Britten-Norman Defender' relates to all militarised variants of the BN-2 product line including the BN-2 Piston Defender, BN-2T Turbine Defender, the BN-2T-4R Defender and the stretched variant BN-2T-4S, designated Defender 4000.
The Learjet Model 35 and Model 36 are a series of American multi-role business jets and military transport aircraft manufactured by Learjet between 1973 and 1993. When used by the United States Air Force, they carry the designation C-21A. Learjet was acquired by Bombardier Aviation in 1990 and is now a subsidiary, so the aircraft is also known as the Bombardier Learjet 35.
Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport, also referred to as Kandahar International Airport, and by some military officials as Kandahar Airfield, KAF), is located in the Daman District of Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, about 9 NM southeast from the city of Kandahar. It serves as the nation's second main international airport and as one of the largest main operating bases, capable of housing up to 250 aircraft of different sizes. The current head of the airport is Maulvi Fathullah Mansour.
The Air Tractor AT-802 is an American agricultural aircraft that may also be adapted into fire-fighting or armed versions. It first flew in the United States in October 1990 and is manufactured by Air Tractor. The AT-802 carries a chemical hopper between the engine firewall and the cockpit. In the U.S., it is considered a Type III SEAT, or Single Engine Air Tanker.
The Ofira Air Battle was one of the first air battles of the Yom Kippur War. On 6 October 1973, Egypt launched a massive surprise attack on Israel that included over 200 Egyptian aircraft participating in an opening airstrike. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) Base Ofir at Sharm el-Sheikh came under attack by 20 Egyptian Air Force MiG-17s and their eight MiG-21 escorts. Not realizing the extent of the attack, Israel quickly scrambled two F-4E Phantom II fighter jets. The Israeli pilots proceeded to jettison their external fuel tanks and engage all 28 MiGs in aerial combat. In just under six minutes, seven Egyptian MiGs had been shot down and the remaining Egyptian planes disengaged and returned to Egypt. The Israeli Phantoms returned to their base. The Egyptians dispute the Israeli account of the battle, but they never did provide their own version of what happened. One of the Egyptian pilots killed was Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's half-brother, Atef.
Operation Raviv, also known in Egypt as the Zaafarana accident or the Ten-Hour War, was a mounted raid conducted by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Egypt's Red Sea coast during the War of Attrition. Taking place on September 9, 1969, Raviv was the sole major ground offensive undertaken by the IDF against Egypt throughout the war. The operation saw Israeli forces masquerading as Egyptian troops and using captured Arab armor.
Giora Romm was an Israeli military officer who served as deputy commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), Israel's military attaché in the United States and as director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel. Romm was the IAF's first jet ace, scoring five kills during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1969, during the War of Attrition, Romm was shot down and spent several months in Egyptian captivity. He commanded the IAF's 115 Squadron through the intensive fighting of the 1973 Yom Kippur War and participated in Operation Wooden Leg, the 1985 raid against PLO headquarters in Tunisia.
Mordechai "Modi" Alon was an Israeli fighter pilot who with the formation of the Israeli Air Force in May 1948, assumed command of its first fighter squadron. Flying the Avia S-199, Alon participated in the IAF's first combat sortie on 29 May 1948, and on 3 June scored the IAF's very first aerial victories, downing a pair of Royal Egyptian Air Force C-47s over Tel Aviv.
