Egyptian Air Defense Forces
The Egyptian Air Defence Forces (EADF) (Egyptian Arabic: قوات الدفاع الجوي, romanized: Quwwat El-Difa' El-Gawwi, Coptic: Ⲡ̀ⲁⲣⲉϩ ⲙ̀ⲫⲉ ⲛ̀ⲕⲏⲙⲓ) 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.
| Egyptian Air Defense Forces | |
|---|---|
| قوات الدفاع الجوي المصري Ⲡ̀ⲁⲣⲉϩ ⲙ̀ⲫⲉ ⲛ̀ⲕⲏⲙⲓ | |
| Founded | 1968 (56 years) 1938–1968 (part of Artillery corps) |
| Country | Egypt |
| Role | Anti-aircraft warfare |
| Size | 80,000 active personnel 70,000 reserve personnel 150,000 total personnel |
| Part of | Egyptian Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Cairo, Egypt |
| Nickname(s) | حصن السماء Sky Fortress |
| Motto(s) | إيمان, عزم, مجد Faith, Will, Glory |
| Anniversaries | 30 June |
| Engagements | World 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 Force | Lieutenant General Mohamed Hegazy |
| Chief of Staff | Major General Hany Rashad |
| Insignia | |
| Flag | |
| Insignia | Egyptian Army ranks |
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 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.