Egypt’s Air Defence Forces marked their 56th anniversary on Tuesday in an event that falls on 30 June every year and commemorates the construction of the “missile wall” in 1970.
This represented a turning point in Egyptian military history, as it successfully denied the enemy air superiority during the War of Attrition and paved the way for the October 1973 victory.
During this year’s commemoration of the anniversary, Al-Ahram Weekly met with Commander of the Air Defence Forces Lieutenant-General Yasser Al-Toudi for an interview about how warfare has undergone radical transformations.
The era of large-scale troop battles has ended, with power balances shifting due to technological advances and the widespread use of artificial intelligence in warfare, Al-Toudi said.
These include psychological operations such as propaganda and disinformation, data analysis, weapon and drone guidance, decision-making support, cyberattacks, logistics management, and air defence system development.
Conflicts have shifted from traditional wars to “smart wars”, granting armed forces unprecedented combat capabilities and making deterrence far more complex, Al-Toudi said.
He stressed that this revolution has created new threats to air defence systems, particularly long-range weapons capable of destroying targets over long distances. Geography no longer provides protection, redefining concepts of sovereignty and national security, he said.
Ballistic and hypersonic missiles represent grave threats. Traditional ballistic missiles combine high speed with multiple guidance methods and follow a predictable curved trajectory.
But today missiles can be launched from aircraft beyond air defence ranges, and they can be equipped with hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) that detach and manoeuvre towards targets at over five times the speed of sound and multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) that strike different sites.
Integrating AI allows these weapons to adjust course automatically, identify and prioritise targets, and direct multiple warheads simultaneously, posing a major challenge to current air defence systems designed for predictable trajectories, Al-Toudi said.
Drones have also become a significant threat in modern warfare, he said, proving their ability to alter military balances and achieve objectives at low cost and with high efficiency. With AI integration, drones can independently conduct reconnaissance, analyse data, make decisions, and attack individually or in swarms.
Cyber warfare also stands out as a major threat, using computer and Internet technologies to launch attacks against infrastructure. This has created a new battlefield in the digital world, where technological superiority equates to political and military dominance and empowers smaller actors to play significant roles in cyberspace and complicates strategic deterrence.
Al-Toudi said that the struggle between aerial threats and air defence is perennial and requires continuous updates to defence technologies. These involve acquiring modern radar systems and integrated networks capable of detecting contemporary aerial threats, supported by space-based sensors to track ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
Egypt relies on multi-layered air-defence systems that are mobile and exhibit rapid response and specialised combat capabilities to make swift decisions in complex environments against diverse threats, Al-Toudi said. These systems are also enhanced with AI applications.
He said that the Air Defence Technical Research and Development Centre is the driving force behind the modernisation of the Air Defence Forces and is staffed by distinguished officers holding Masters and doctoral degrees from Egypt and abroad.
“We have adopted a comprehensive strategy to preserve current systems, localise technology, and advance military manufacturing by extending lifespans, improving efficiency, solving technical issues, and providing spare part alternatives,” he said.
Scientific capabilities from Armed Forces research centres and other relevant institutions are leveraged to acquire air defence manufacturing technology, he said. “We have succeeded in producing radar systems, command and control centres, secure identification systems, target drones, and counter-drone systems,” Al-Toudi said.
“Egypt’s Air Defence Forces are armed with knowledge, faith, and the latest weaponry. They maintain the highest combat readiness around the clock and are prepared to confront any threats with decisiveness and strength,” he concluded.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 2 July, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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