| Egyptian Navy | |
|---|---|
| القوات البحرية المصرية (Arabic) | |
| Founded | 1800 |
| Country | Egypt |
| Type | Navy |
| Size | 30,000 active personnel[1] 20,000 reserve personnel[1] 50,000 total personnel[1] 320 vessels[citation needed] |
| Part of |  Egyptian Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Alexandria, Egypt |
| Mottos | Knowledge, Honor, Sacrifice |
| Colours | Blue, red, white and black |
| March | March of the Navy |
| Anniversaries | 21 October |
| Equipment | Current fleet |
| Engagements | Wahhabi War Greek War of Independence Crimean War Cretan Revolt Anglo-Egyptian War (1882) World War II Suez Crisis North Yemen Civil War Six-Day War War of Attrition Yom Kippur War Gulf War Sinai Insurgency Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) |
| Commanders | |
| Commander of the Navy | Rear AdmiralAshraf Ibrahim Atwa |
| Chief of Staff of the Navy | StaffRear Admiral Ehab Sobhy |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
| Ensign |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Rafale,F-16 |
| Electronic warfare | Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye |
| Fighter | Rafale,F-16 |
| Helicopter | Aérospatiale Gazelle,Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite,Westland Sea King,NH90 |
TheEgyptian Navy (Arabic:القوات البحرية المصرية,romanized: Al-Quwwāt Al-Bahareya Al-Masriyya,lit. 'Egyptian Navy Forces'), also known as theEgyptian Naval Forces,[2] is the maritime branch of theEgyptian Armed Forces. It is the largest navy in theMiddle East as well asAfrica, and is the twelfth largest (by the number of vessels) navy in the world.[citation needed] The navy protects more than 2,000 kilometers of coastline of theMediterranean Sea and theRed Sea, defense of approaches to the Suez Canal,[clarification needed] and it also supports for army operations.
The majority of the modern Egyptian Navy was created with the help of the Soviet Union in the 1960s.[citation needed]The navy received ships in the 1980s fromChina and Western sources. In 1989, the Egyptian Navy had 18,000 personnel as well as 2,000 personnel in the Coast Guard.[3] The navy received ships from the United States (US) in the year 1990.[4] US shipbuilder Swiftships has built around 30 boats for the Egyptian Navy including mine hunters, survey vessels, and both steel and aluminium patrol boats.[5]
Egypt has had a navy sinceAncient Egyptian times. TheAncient Egyptian Navy was a vital part of themilitary of ancient Egypt. It helped to transport troops along theNile River and fighting many battles such as theBattle of the Delta against theSea Peoples, and played a major role in Egyptian Wars and battles such as the siege ofAvaris in c. 1540 BC.[6] The Ancient Egyptian Navy imported many of their ships from countries such as theKingdom of Cyprus.[7] SeveralAncient Egyptian royal ships are still present today.[citation needed]
In the early 1800s, Egypt underMuhammad Ali Pasha developed a modern European-style army and navy. After intervening in theGreek War of Independence at Ottoman Turkey's request, the Egyptian navy was destroyed in 1827 at theBattle of Navarino by the fleets of Great Britain, France and Russia. With the Egyptian army in Greece then isolated, Muhammad Ali made terms with the British and withdrew a year later.
A replacement fleet was built for theFirst Egyptian–Ottoman War in 1831, and landed troops atJaffa in support of the main Egyptian army marching into Syria. In theSecond Egyptian–Ottoman War in 1839, following Egyptian victory in theBattle of Nezib, theOttoman fleet sailed to Alexandria and defected to the Egyptian side. However, these victories provoked decisive European intervention to support the Turks, and while Muhammad Ali's dynasty continued to reign, Egypt ended up being transformed into aBritish protectorate until being granted independence in 1921.[citation needed]
The Egyptian navy was only peripherally involved in the series of conflicts withIsrael. On 22 October 1948, theEgyptian sloop El Amir Farouq was sunk in theMediterranean Sea offGaza by amotor explosive boat of theIsraeli Navy during theIsraeli naval campaign in Operation Yoav as part of the1948 Arab–Israeli War.[8][9] During theSuez Crisis, Egypt dispatched theIbrahim el Awal, an ex-BritishHunt class destroyer, toHaifa with the aim of shelling the city's coastal oil installations. On 31 October theIbrahim el Awal reached Haifa and began bombarding the city but was driven off by a French warship and then pursued by the Israeli destroyersINSEilat andINSYaffo which, with the help of theIsraeli Air Force, captured the ship.[10]Egyptian destroyers and torpedo boats engaged larger British vessels in a move aimed at frustrating the amphibious operations of the British and French. On the night of 31 October in the northern Red Sea, the Britishlight cruiserHMSNewfoundland challenged and engaged the Egyptian frigateDomiat, eventually sinking it in a brief gun battle. The Egyptian warship was then sunk by escorting destroyerHMSDiana, with 69 surviving Egyptian sailors rescued.[11]
The Egyptian Navy's blockade of Israeli ships in theStrait of Tiran that were headed toward the Israeli port ofEilat was one of the main causes of theSix-Day War. During the war, theIsraeli Navy landed sixcombat divers from theShayetet 13 naval commando unit to infiltrate Alexandria harbor. The divers sank an Egyptian minesweeper[citation needed] before being taken prisoner. Both Egyptian and Israeli warships made movements at sea to intimidate the other side throughout the war, but did not engage each other. However, Israeli warships and aircraft did hunt for Egyptian submarines throughout the war.
In October 1967, a few months after the cease-fire, the Egyptian Navy was the first navy in history to sink a ship using anti-ship missiles, when an Egyptian Komar-class fast-attack craft sank the IsraelidestroyerINS Eilat with two direct hits.[12] This was a milestone of modern naval warfare, and for the first time anti-ship missiles showed their potential, sinking the destroyer 17 km offPort Said.
On the night of 15–16 November 1969, Egyptian Navy frogmen attacked the port of Eilat and caused severe damages to the armed transport shipBat Yam.[13] On 5–6 February 1970, the frogmen attacked the Israeli landing ships at the same port and same piers causing severe damages to the landing shipBait Shivaa and transport armed shipHydroma.[13] On 8 March 1970, the frogmen attacked the Israeli oil drillKeting at the port ofAbidjan inIvory Coast believing that Israel had bought this oil drill from the Netherlands for the purposes of oil exploration in theSuez Gulf.[13]
In theYom Kippur War, Egypt blocked commercial traffic to Eilat in the Gulf of Aqaba by laying mines; it also attempted to blockade Israeli ports on the Mediterranean.[3] The navy also used the coastal artillery to the east of Port Fouad to support theEgyptian Army in order to prepare for the assault on the Suez Canal.[13] In theBattle of Baltim, three EgyptianOsa-class missile boats were sunk.[citation needed]
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Egyptian Navy |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
| فريق أول Fariq 'awal | فريق Fariq | لواء Liwa | عميد Amid | عقيد Aqid | مقدم Muqaddam | رائد Ra'id | نقيب Naqib | ملازم أول Mulazim awwal | ملازم Mulazim | |||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Navy |  | |  |  |  | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| مساعد أول Mosa'id awwal | مساعد Mosa'id | رقيب أول Raqib awwal | رقيب Raqib | عريف 'arif | جندي Jundi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ensign | Flag | Pennant |
|---|---|---|
| |  |
| Vice-admiral | Rear-admiral | Senior on the roads |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
The Egyptian navy's headquarters and main base is atAlexandria on theMediterranean Sea with other Mediterranean naval bases atPort Said,Garoub andMersa Matruh.
Egyptian naval bases on theRed Sea areHurghada,Safaga,Berenice, andSuez.
The Egyptian Navy is structured into two different fleets, one for the Mediterranean sea and the other for the Red Sea. This in a context where the safety of shipping in the Red Sea is becoming increasingly important.[14]
The navy lacked its own air arm and depended on the air force for maritime reconnaissance and protection against submarines. The air force's equipment that supported the navy included twelve Gazelle and five Sea King helicopters mounted with antiship and antisubmarine missiles. In mid-1988 the air force also took delivery of the first of six Grumman E-2c Hawkeye aircraft with search and side-looking radar for maritime surveillance purposes.
TheEgyptian Air Force equipment that supports the navy includes the following:
In mid-1988 the air force also took delivery of the first of 6Grumman E-2C Hawkeye aircraft, now 8 units are operational and are used to secure the maritime borders among other missions; it also operates 6Beechcraft 1900C aircraft for maritime surveillance purposes with search and side-looking radar. The Egyptian Navy also usesMil Mi-8 and Sea King helicopters to transport troops.[15]also Russia confirmed the sale of 46 Ka-52Ks to Egypt in December 2015. Russian Helicopters Director-General Alexander Mikheyev said deliveries to Egypt are expected to occur in 2017.[16] In April 2019 Egyptian Navy ordered 24Agusta Westland AW149 helicopters[17][18][19]
Egypt has 4Type 209 German submarines and also operates 4 ex-ChineseRomeo-class submarines which have been revitalized to use Western periscopes, trailing GPS, passive sonars, a fire control system, and the ability to fire US-made Harpoon missiles.[20]
The first Mistral helicopter carrier named after late President Gamal Abdel-Nasser arrived in Alexandria in June 2016.On 16 September 2016, the Egyptian Navy Commander, Admiral Osama Rabie, raised the Egyptian flag on board of the BPC-210 Mistral Class amphibious assault ship (BPC/LHD).[21] Russia and Egypt had signed a deal for Egypt's purchase of 50 Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters from Russia. The purchase includes the variant of the Ka-52 Katran, which was specifically designed for the Mistrals that Russia had intended to acquire.[16]
Only those escorts capable of operating troop-lift helicopters (Kaman SH-2G Seasprite) are shown. It must, though, be accepted that all surface ships can launch and recover the rubber assault craft known to be used by the army's commando groups. Additionally the two, 1,702 ton Jianghu I class FFGs and the two, 1,479 ton Descubierta class FFGs can supply naval gunfire support.
The Egyptian Navy has a potent fleet of fast attack craft, many fitted with missile systems. These and the navy-crewed vessels of the Coast Guard, would be deployed in support of amphibious landings and certainly in their prevention. The US shipbuilder Swiftships is one of the main providers of vessels for the Egyptian Navy. It has built around 30 boats[22] for the Egyptian Navy mainly costal patrol crafts 28m for coastal defense, anti-surface operations, maritime security operations and maritime interdiction, surveillance and intelligence gathering, and search and rescue operations.[23]
| Part ofa series on the |
| Egyptian Armed Forces |
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Special Forces |
TheEgyptian Coast Guard is responsible for the onshore protection of public installations near the coast and the patrol of coastal waters to prevent smuggling. Currently consists of one hundred five ships and craft.
The Egyptian Navy has adopted the 60m diesel-poweredAmbassador MK III fast missile patrol craft.[when?] The construction of the boats began in spring 2001. Egypt already had an older version of the Ambassador patrol craft in service, but the new boats would contain an update in design meant to make the vessels more resistant toradar detection. Design was conducted with the assistance ofLockheed Martin. Throughout recent years, Egypt has been constructing variousRamos-grade shipyards, which are capable of making more recent vessels like larger fast attack craft, low-grade aircraft carriers (such as Oryx-class or Nimitz-class) and nuclear submarines, though none of the aforementioned vessels have been constructed there.
The navy is currently undergoing a modernization of its surface fleet. On 16 February 2015, the Egyptian Navy ordered oneFREMM multipurpose frigate from the French shipbuilderDCNS to enter service before the opening of theNew Suez Canal, as part of a larger deal (including 24Rafales and a supply of missiles) worth €5.2bn.[27][28] Egypt has also signed a €1bn contract with DCNS to buy fourGowind 2,500 ton corvettes with an option for two more.[29] The ageing submarine fleet is to be replaced starting in 2016 when the first of fourType 209 submarine's worth €920 million start arriving from Germany.[30]
On 7 August 2015,Le Monde reported that Egypt andSaudi Arabia were in discussions withFrance to purchase the two amphibious assault shipMistral class originally intended for Russia. Le Monde quoted a French diplomatic source as confirming that French President,François Hollande, discussed the matter with Egyptian PresidentAbdel Fattah el-Sisi during his visit to Egypt during the inauguration of theNew Suez Canal inIsmailia.[31][32] On 24 September 2015, the French presidency announced that an agreement had been reached with Egypt for the supply of the two Mistrals.[33][34]
In May 2016, Swiftships was awarded a Direct Commercial Contract (DCC) for the construction of six additional 28m CPCs for co-production in Egypt under Swiftships Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model. Swiftships has delivered six 28m CPCs already to the EN, which were constructed at the Egyptian Ship Building and Repairs Company (ESBRC) in Alexandria, Egypt.[35] In June 2016 Swiftships was awarded a contract to procure four 28 meter long coastal patrol craft kits for local assembly in Alexandria.[5]
Spiegel Online announced on 2 January 2019 that the German federal security council approved the sale of 1 MEKO 200 frigate similar to the South African Valour class for 500 million euros, Egypt also intends to buy at least another frigate of the class in the future .[36] In May 2016, Swiftships was awarded a Direct Commercial Contract (DCC) for the construction of six additional 28m CPCs
In April 2019, the German parliament approved the guarantee of 2.3 billion euros for the sale of 6MEKO A200 class frigates for Egypt.[37][38]
In 2020, the Italian government accepted the proposal to sell twoBergamini-class frigates to Egypt for a value of 1.2 billion euros.
On 3 July 2021, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated the "July 3 base" at Gargoub,Matrouh Governorate.[39][40]
In October 2021, it was announced that the UK government had authorised the sale of two withdrawnFort (I)-class replenishment vessels to Egypt, pending full refurbishment.[41]
In April 2022 Swiftships was awarded another contract for six 28m Coastal Patrol Craft material production kits, Zodiac RIBS, and equipment under a US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case to Egypt. Swiftships’ 28m boat has a range of 900nmi, which can be extended by afloat refuelling.[42][43]
After the Egyptian defeat in the Anglo-Egyptian war, the UK abolished the entire military of Egypt and established a small homeland defence force instead even the Navy was abolished and the only maritime force in Egypt was the Coast Guard. In 1908 the Naval Authority was formed as a semi replacement for the former Navy, and was used to control the Egyptian ports and Merchant ships there. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, and after Egypt's independence in 1922 Egypt started building a new modern Navy with British vessels (destroyers, patrol boats, training ships) all under the name 'Naval Authority'. Although a Navy existed but no Naval academy was formed, however, it had a section in the main Military academy. After World War II ended, in 1946, the Naval Authority was renamed into "The Royal Egyptian Navy".
