Themilitary industry ofEgypt produces defense and security equipment for theEgyptian Armed Forces and exports various products abroad. Egypt has co-production agreements with several countries, including theUnited States,France,[1][2]Germany,Russia,China andSouth Korea.
Egypt has long invested in the development of its domestic defense industry, producing a wide range of military equipment, including small arms, ammunitions, armored vehicles, drones, naval vessels, electronic equipment, tanks, and missiles. Over the decades, Egypt has fostered partnerships with global defense manufacturers, working with countries such as the United States, Russia, China, South Africa, France, the United Kingdom, and Finland to develop and produce advanced weaponry, including tank guns, howitzers, anti-aircraft mortar shells, communications equipment, and optics.[3]
Egypt's defense sector serves the dual purpose of ensuring self-sufficiency and securing military readiness, with a focus on sustaining an armed force of up to 1.2 million personnel in times of mobilization.[4]
TheMinistry of Military Production oversees a vast network of military factories and companies,[5] includingAbu Zaabal Specialized Industries, which produces ammunition and small arms, andAbu Zaabal Engineering Industries, which manufactures artillery systems and shells. Additionally, theArmoured Production and Repair Factory assembles and maintains armored vehicles such as theM1A1 Abrams andK9A1EGY, alongside developing indigenous platforms like theRAAD 200 andSinai 200. In the electronics sector, the Thales & Benha Electronics S.A.E. joint venture, formed betweenFrance’sThales Group and Benha Electronics, specializes in co-producing advanced communication and signaling systems, while also engaging in research, development, and training.[6]
Meanwhile, theArab Organization for Industrialization (AOI), a major state-owned defense conglomerate, oversees multiple enterprises across aerospace, electronics, vehicles, and armaments. It ownsKader for Developed Industries, which designs and manufactures armored vehicles, and Sakr for Developed Industries, a producer of missiles and rockets. AOI also operates joint ventures like Arab British Dynamics Co., which specializes in guided weaponry, and Arab American Vehicles Co., which assembles military and civilian vehicles.[7] AOI has a longstanding history in aircraft production, with facilities inHelwan producing licensed light combat and trainer aircraft, such as theAlpha Jet andK-8E, which it now seeks to replace with theKAI T-50 Golden Eagle.[8]
Naval defense production is spearheaded by theAlexandria Shipyard, which specializes in constructing frigates, corvettes, and patrol boats.[9] The shipyard has partnered withFrance’sNaval Group to produceGowind 2500 corvettes[10] andGermany’sThyssenKrupp Marine Systems to locally manufactureMEKO A200 frigates for theEgyptian Navy.[11]
Egypt’s defense industry has also seen the emergence of private sector players.Robotics Engineering Systems focuses on the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including combat drones, surveillance systems, andsmart munitions such as high-precisionglide bombs andguided missiles with multi-mode guidance.[12]Amstone, another Egyptian private defense company, specializes in fifth-generation defense technologies, particularly in naval and aerial unmanned systems.[13]
Since 2023, Egypt and Turkey have taken significant steps to strengthen defense and industrial cooperation following years of strained relations. In March 2025, Turkey’s defense firmHavelsan and Egypt’sKader Factory for Developed Industries signed an agreement to jointly produceunmanned ground vehicles in Egypt. The partnership, supported by theArab Organization for Industrialization, includes technology transfer and the joint design of vehicles adapted to regional conditions.[14] In August 2025, the two companies expanded this cooperation by signing an agreement to jointly produce the TorghaVTOLUAV in Egypt.[15]
Later that same month, Egypt joined Turkey'sTAI TF Kaan fifth-generation stealth fighter program, becoming the first African nation to participate in the development of afifth-generation combat aircraft. The partnership provides for technology transfer, local production, and plans to integrate the Kaan into theEgyptian Air Force.[16]
Egypt's military industry dates back to the early 19th century underMuhammad Ali, who established an industrial base primarily to support the development of a modern military. His efforts were concentrated on weapons production, with factories inCairo manufacturingmuskets andcannons. Additionally, he constructed ashipyard inAlexandria to build a domesticnavy. By the late 1830s, Egypt's military industries had produced nine 100-gun warships and were manufacturing 1,600 muskets per month.[17]
Near the end ofWorld War II, Egypt came into possession of a large quantity and variety of armaments left behind byNazi Germany,[18] including large stockpiles of8mm Mauserammunition that had been manufactured by several Axis countries. The Egyptian government decided to manufacture a semi-automaticbattle rifle and purchased the tooling and plans for the SwedishAutomatgevär m/42 (Ag m/42) rifle, and re-engineered it to use the 8mm Mauser cartridges and a gas adjustment valve. The resultingHakim Rifle was manufactured and fielded from the early 1950s untilc. 1961. Egypt also briefly manufactured another re-engineered Ag ms/42, chambered for the7.62×39mm Soviet cartridge, called theRasheed Carbine. These guns were replaced in the 1960s by theMaadi AK-47, a licensed copy of the AK-47.[citation needed]
Egypt’s modern defense industry took shape under PresidentGamal Abdel Nasser in the 1950s and 1960s, as he spearheaded its most formative developments amid geopolitical conflict withIsrael and the broader push for economic nationalism and import-substituting industrialization. Nasser’s government sought to create a self-sufficient military-industrial base, reducing reliance on foreign arms suppliers while strengthening Egypt’s economic and strategic position.[19]
During the late 1950s, Egypt built theJabal Hamzah ballistic missile test and launch facility to test-fire and to experiment with the domestically built Al Zafir and Al KaherSRBMs.[20]
The country's defense industry evolved significantly over the years. In the 1980s, Egypt primarily produced small and medium weapons, often under foreign licenses. By the 1990s, it had entered the heavy weapons sector, manufacturing tanks and howitzers. After 2000, Egypt advanced into weapons system design, producing indigenous military hardware and improving existing systems through domestic innovation.[21] In 2008, Egypt’s military production was valued at 3.8 billion Egyptian pounds ($717 million), marking a 20% increase over the previous year.[22] The country has maintained long-standing collaborations with Spain and Germany, dating back to the mid-20th century, and continues to procure arms and equipment from the United States and Russia.[23]
In 2020, Egypt launched a three-year weapons manufacturing strategy aimed at achieving self-sufficiency and expanding arms exports. The initiative, backed by a $479 million investment, focused on modernizing and adding 84 production lines. This effort sought to reduce dependence on foreign arms suppliers while enhancing domestic production capabilities, ultimately positioning Egypt as a regional defense exporter.[5]
The Helwan HA-300 (Arabic:حلوان ٣٠٠) was an advanced supersonic jet fighter project developed by Egypt in the 1960s as part of its efforts to establish an independent military aviation industry. Designed by Willy Messerschmitt, the HA-300 was intended to be a lightweight, high-performance interceptor capable of reaching speeds over Mach 2. The aircraft featured a delta-wing configuration and was powered by theBrandner E-300 turbojet engine, an indigenous Egyptian development. Three prototypes were built, with flight tests beginning in 1964, but the program faced technical challenges and increasing costs. Egypt ultimately abandoned the project in 1969, opting instead to acquire Soviet aircraft like the MiG-21. Despite its cancellation, the HA-300 remains a significant milestone in Egypt’s aviation history as the country’s only attempt at producing a domestically designed jet fighter.[24]
Egypt was involved in supplying theCentral Intelligence Agency with various weapons forOperation Cyclone during theSoviet–Afghan War. CIA OfficerGust Avrakotos set up a deal with Egyptian Defense MinisterAbd al-Halim Abu Ghazala for Egypt to manufacture.303 ammunition for the hundreds of thousands ofLee–Enfield rifles that it supplied to theAfghan mujahideen through Pakistan'sInter Services Intelligence. CongressmanCharlie Wilson helped lower political barriers for the deals to go through.[25]
TheEgypt Defence Expo (EDEX) was launched in 2018 as Egypt’s first international defense exhibition, aimed at promoting the country’s military industry and strengthening its position as a regional hub for defense technology and trade. Held biennially in Cairo, the event has grown significantly, attracting global defense manufacturers alongside Egyptian state-owned and private-sector defense firms. EDEX provides a platform for showcasing domestically produced military equipment, fostering international partnerships, and facilitating defense cooperation. The exhibition highlights Egypt’s expanding capabilities in arms production, aerospace, naval systems, and electronic warfare, reinforcing its role in the global defense market.[26]
