Khaberni - The Egyptian military and strategic expert Major General Samir Faraj confirmed that the Egyptian state has succeeded in achieving a major strategic transformation by breaking the decades-long chains of armaments dependency for the Egyptian army.
Major General Faraj said that the Egyptian state has succeeded in elevating its armed forces to the ranks of the global superpowers "not only through the acquisition of modern weapons, but also through local manufacturing and national innovation."
In a statement to a local channel, the prominent military expert added that for 30 years, the armed forces had dreamed of breaking the monopoly of a single entity over weapons supply, a feat achieved by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi "with a bold decision despite immense international pressure."
He explained the previous dangers, saying: "After 1973, our weaponry became wholly dependent on American aid, which posed a great risk in cases of ammunition depletion or the need for spare parts during combat."
Major General Faraj highlighted the current diversity in armaments sources: "Today, Egypt’s weaponry radiates from every direction—from France with Rafale and Mistral, from Italy and Germany with the latest frigates and submarines, from Russia and China with advanced fighters and drones, in addition to South Korean artillery"—considering that this diversity "has given Egypt the upper hand, so no one can pressurize us or withhold weapons from us."
He spotlighted the leap in local military manufacturing, saying that the military factories established under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, which had stopped serving a military role for a period, have returned strongly under President Sisi with efforts from the late Lieutenant General Mohamed Al-Assar.
He confirmed that Egypt no longer just imports but also manufactures, saying: "We created the fourth German frigate with Egyptian hands for technology transfer, and the students of the Military Technical College have played a prominent role in innovating and manufacturing drones displayed at the EDEX exhibition, which now represent the new bogeyman in modern warfare times."
In the context of naval power, Major General Samir Faraj assured that the Egyptian navy ranks sixth globally, attributing this superiority to the proactive vision of the political leadership over the past 10 years, emphasizing that "the strength of the Egyptian fleet is what protects our rights in the Mediterranean gas."
Comparing the situation in Egypt to what happened in Lebanon, he said: "Lebanon has gas in Block number 9, but Israel has seized it and now exports it while Lebanon lives in darkness. In Egypt, no one dares to touch a grain of sand or a single gas field because we have the sixth-largest navy in the world protecting our economic waters."
