القوات المسلحة المصرية((دراسة في مصادر التسليح المصري)) 1955-1974

Abstract

To get sophisticated arms, the Egyptian tendency was towards the West in the first place, but the Egyptian repeated attempts to get on the western arms and to make an arms deal with the west did not work. That there was a western agreement on preventing Egypt from getting sophisticated weapons. This Western orientation was justified and was supported by, especially as many of the British troops were still stationed in the Canal Zone and that any sophisticated weapon Egypt imports would likely go towards those forces.Later, there was an Egyptian rapprochement with the Eastern Bloc resulted in making arms deal was known as (Czech deal), which was concluded in September 27 1955. According to this deal, Egypt got 100 fighter MiG-15 and five launcher aircraft of the type Illusion in addition to a wide range of weapons . Then Soviet-Egyptian relations became closer, especially after Egypt's accession to the Non-Aligned states and distancing from the policy of Western alliances. During the period 1955-1964, the Soviets had the main role in the construction of the Egyptian armed forces. The role of the Soviet Union was not only restricted to the military equipment, but the equipment was accompanied by experts and technicians that contributed to lay a basis for the manufacture of the Egyptian military. During the Soviet period Egyptian cooperation Egypt has bought 2200 million rubles worth of Soviet weapons.The period 1964-1970 witnessed the peak of the Soviet Egyptian military cooperation and it became clear that the parties were in need to lay the foundations for a strong relationship between them.After the death of President Jamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat came to power, there were crucial developments in the Egyptian-Soviet relations. Although there have been a kind of apathy in the relations between the two countries, the Soviets continued to supply weapons to Egypt. There was pressure and common desire from US-Saudi Arabia to end the task of Soviet experts in Egypt. Despite the expulsion of Anwar Sadat to these experts in July 1972, the Soviets continued to make arms deals with Egypt and more than the previous. But Sadat believed that the Soviet role in the region began to fade in front of the US role. He also believed that all solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, however, is at the hands of United States. Thus, Sadat wanted to get Egypt away from the Soviet Union and break the Western ban on the supply of arms to Egypt. Therefore, he decided in April 18, 1974 to refrain from importing Soviet weapons. 1974 witnessed a variety in the sources of Egyptian arms by relying on Britain and France as a substitute for the Soviet Union.