The Armed Forces Armament Authority (AFAA) was founded on 2 November 1967 and tasked with rebuilding and reequipping Egypt’s land, sea, and air forces and raising the technical quality of the equipment already in service.
The authority figures prominently in the Egyptian leadership’s vision for military development. In an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly, AFAA head Major-General Mohamed Adli Abdel-Wahed said that when President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi assumed responsibility for the country in 2014, he laid out a clear national strategy.
One of its central pillars was to establish a deterrent military capacity to safeguard Egypt’s national interests as work continued to rebuild the Egyptian state and lay the foundations for the modern and advanced New Republic aimed at by government policy.
Egypt’s policy of military development mirrors its foreign policy, and the country pursues a strategy of openness to all other countries and seeks to establish balanced relations with global powers, avoiding alignment with any one country or bloc, Abdel-Wahed told the Weekly.
This has earned Egypt international respect and appreciation, particularly from the major powers, many of which now seek to establish military relations with Egypt and conduct joint military exercises.
The Egyptian army has won high esteem among its international counterparts, he said. “Alongside its deterrent strength, it is a professional army committed to protection and defence. It never initiates aggression and only responds offensively if Egypt is subjected to a real threat.”
The Egyptian military also recognises the need to become self-sufficient in armaments, and Egypt now possesses several military-industrial hubs dedicated to achieving this goal and eventually to marketing their products abroad, the AFAA head said.
“The great achievements we have made in the war on terrorism testify to the quality of both Egyptian soldiers and Egyptian-made weapons,” Abdel-Wahed said, listing armoured vehicles, military bulldozers, conventional arms, and mine detectors among the high-performing domestically manufactured items of equipment that have demonstrated their efficacy in the war on terrorism.
These weapons and many others were produced at major defence manufacturers such as the National Organisation for Military Production, the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation, the Arab International Optronics Company, the Egyptian National Company for Industrial Development, the Ministry of Defence-affiliated Engineering Industries Complex, and the Marine Industries and Services Agency.
A variety of domestically manufactured weapons have already made their mark in the global market, such as the Temsah series of armoured vehicles, the Fahd armoured personnel carrier, diverse electro-optical devices, and, in naval vessels, the Gowind-class corvette, the MEKO-class frigate, high-speed patrol boats, and armoured rigid inflatable boats.
“We do not restrict our sales to any particular country or group of countries,” Major-General Abdel-Wahed said, adding that “we are active in multiple defence manufacturing fields and are keen to establish a strong presence in the global defence market.”
He said the AFAA has many competitive advantages, not least the high reputation of its military products.
“When Egypt owns a weapons system, others want to own it too. This is because we are a reliable source for the weapons we produce, especially given their lower prices compared to similar models produced by other major countries in the defence industries,” Abdel-Wahed said.
Achieving self-sufficiency in military production, establishing a reputation in the field, and offering high-quality products at a competitive price require careful strategic thinking, beginning with identifying the advanced weapons systems that best serve these aims and then upgrading the existing military industrial facilities accordingly, he added.
Technology transfer is another main component of the strategy, and Egypt has been working to localise modern military technologies and is cooperating with friendly nations towards this end.
The goal is two-fold: the acquisition of the latest technologies and maximising the benefits of international partnerships, especially those with the technologically advanced countries. Abdel-Wahed added that Egypt is currently focused on the acquisition of technologies associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, especially artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things, and cybersecurity.
“It is important to prepare not just for the present but for the future,” Abdel-Wahed said. “This is why we are taking serious steps to develop a national AI strategy and engaging highly qualified scientists, researchers, and technicians in the fields of AI military technologies. We are setting short-, medium-, and long-term goals for developing production lines for the new armaments systems.”
Abdel-Wahed offered a glimpse of the forthcoming Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX) scheduled for 1 to 4 December. Building on the success of the previous editions, EDEX-4 promises to be an excellent forum for the exchange of expertise among professionals from the leading world defence companies and organisations, he said.
A vast collection of the latest military production from these industry leaders will be on display in the expo’s pavilions. These will also showcase the products of Egypt’s own military industrial manufacturers.
“EDEX-4 will be an internationally influential platform for presenting the global state-of-the-art in defence and military technologies,” Abdel-Wahed said.
He concluded his interview with a message to the Egyptian people. “The development of the Egyptian Armed Forces is ongoing and will continue without interruption. The Armed Forces preserve the peace by possessing a strong military force consisting of highly trained combat personnel equipped with the latest weapons systems. Egypt never ceases to keep pace with advancements in military technologies and continuously equips its Armed Forces with the latest weapons.”
“These are not for war, but for peace, and to defend Egypt’s land, skies, and territorial waters. The Egyptian Armed Forces are dedicated to the protection of the state by land, sea, and air against all current and potential threats and to safeguarding the resources and capacities of our precious homeland.”
* A version of this article appears in print in the 24 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Short link: