Egypt has long invested in the development of its domestic defense industry, producing a wide range of military equipment, including small arms, ammunitions, armored vehicles, drones, naval vessels, electronic equipment, tanks, and missiles. Over the decades, Egypt has fostered partnerships with global defense manufacturers, working with countries such as the United States, Russia, China, South Africa, France, the United Kingdom, and Finland to develop and produce advanced weaponry, including tank guns, howitzers, anti-aircraft mortar shells, communications equipment, and optics.[3]
History
Egypt's military industry dates back to the early 19th century under Muhammad Ali, who established an industrial base primarily to support the development of a modern military. His efforts were concentrated on weapons production, with factories in Cairo manufacturing muskets and cannons. Additionally, he constructed a shipyard in Alexandria to build a domestic navy. By the late 1830s, Egypt's military industries had produced nine 100-gun warships and were manufacturing 1,600 muskets per month.[4]
Near the end of World War II, Egypt came into possession of a large quantity and variety of armaments left behind by Nazi Germany,[5] including large stockpiles of 8mm Mauserammunition that had been manufactured by several Axis countries. The Egyptian government decided to manufacture a semi-automatic battle rifle and purchased the tooling and plans for the Swedish Automatgevär m/42 (Ag m/42) rifle, and re-engineered it to use the 8mm Mauser cartridges and a gas adjustment valve. The resulting Hakim Rifle was manufactured and fielded from the early 1950s until c.1961. Egypt also briefly manufactured another re-engineered Ag ms/42, chambered for the 7.62×39mm Soviet cartridge, called the Rasheed Carbine. These guns were replaced in the 1960s by the Maadi AK-47, a licensed copy of the AK-47.
An Egyptian Al Kaher-3 missile.
Egypt’s modern defense industry took shape under President Gamal Abdel Nasser in the 1950s and 1960s, as he spearheaded its most formative developments amid geopolitical conflict with Israel and the broader push for economic nationalism and import-substituting industrialization. Nasser’s government sought to create a self-sufficient military-industrial base, reducing reliance on foreign arms suppliers while strengthening Egypt’s economic and strategic position.[6]
The country's defense industry evolved significantly over the years. In the 1980s, Egypt primarily produced small and medium weapons, often under foreign licenses. By the 1990s, it had entered the heavy weapons sector, manufacturing tanks and howitzers. After 2000, Egypt advanced into weapons system design, producing indigenous military hardware and improving existing systems through domestic innovation.[8] In 2008, Egypt’s military production was valued at 3.8 billion Egyptian pounds ($717 million), marking a 20% increase over the previous year.[9] The country has maintained long-standing collaborations with Spain and Germany, dating back to the mid-20th century, and continues to procure arms and equipment from the United States and Russia.[10]
In 2020, Egypt launched a three-year weapons manufacturing strategy aimed at achieving self-sufficiency and expanding arms exports. The initiative, backed by a $479 million investment, focused on modernizing and adding 84 production lines. This effort sought to reduce dependence on foreign arms suppliers while enhancing domestic production capabilities, ultimately positioning Egypt as a regional defense exporter.[11]
The Helwan HA-300 (Arabic: حلوان ٣٠٠) was an advanced supersonic jet fighter project developed by Egypt in the 1960s as part of its efforts to establish an independent military aviation industry. Designed by Willy Messerschmitt, the HA-300 was intended to be a lightweight, high-performance interceptor capable of reaching speeds over Mach 2. The aircraft featured a delta-wing configuration and was powered by the Brandner E-300 turbojet engine, an indigenous Egyptian development. Three prototypes were built, with flight tests beginning in 1964, but the program faced technical challenges and increasing costs. Egypt ultimately abandoned the project in 1969, opting instead to acquire Soviet aircraft like the MiG-21. Despite its cancellation, the HA-300 remains a significant milestone in Egypt’s aviation history as the country’s only attempt at producing a domestically designed jet fighter.[12]
Egypt's defense sector serves the dual purpose of ensuring self-sufficiency and securing military readiness, with a focus on sustaining an armed force of up to 1.2 million personnel in times of mobilization.[14]
Meanwhile, the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI), a major state-owned defense conglomerate, oversees multiple enterprises across aerospace, electronics, vehicles, and armaments. It owns Kader for Developed Industries, which designs and manufactures armored vehicles, and Sakr for Developed Industries, a producer of missiles and rockets. AOI also operates joint ventures like Arab British Dynamics Co., which specializes in guided weaponry, and Arab American Vehicles Co., which assembles military and civilian vehicles.[16] AOI has a longstanding history in aircraft production, with facilities in Helwan producing licensed light combat and trainer aircraft, such as the Alpha Jet and K-8E, which it now seeks to replace with the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle.[17]
Egypt’s defense industry has also seen the emergence of private sector players. Robotics Engineering Systems focuses on the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including combat drones, surveillance systems, and smart munitions such as high-precision glide bombs and guided missiles with multi-mode guidance.[21]Amstone, another Egyptian private defense company, specializes in fifth-generation defense technologies, particularly in naval and aerial unmanned systems.[22]
The Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX) was launched in 2018 as Egypt’s first international defense exhibition, aimed at promoting the country’s military industry and strengthening its position as a regional hub for defense technology and trade. Held biennially in Cairo, the event has grown significantly, attracting global defense manufacturers alongside Egyptian state-owned and private-sector defense firms. EDEX provides a platform for showcasing domestically produced military equipment, fostering international partnerships, and facilitating defense cooperation. The exhibition highlights Egypt’s expanding capabilities in arms production, aerospace, naval systems, and electronic warfare, reinforcing its role in the global defense market.[23]
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