Israeli media has warned of the growing power of the Egyptian air defense forces and their possession of highly advanced weapons, mostly of Russian origin, as well as other locally made arms. The Israeli news site "Nziv" reported remarks from Major General Yasser El-Toudi, commander of the Egyptian air defense forces, who confirmed that air defense relies on the principle that "what is hidden is greater," whether in new armaments or the adoption of unconventional weapons and innovative tactical strategies.
El-Toudi noted that in an age of open skies and readily available information through satellites or electronic intelligence systems, the key lies in maximizing the use of weaponry and equipment capabilities, emphasizing that his forces are focused on achieving surprise through high combat readiness.
The Hebrew site commented on the Egyptian commander's statements, saying that "the senior Egyptian officer's statement reflects the main strategic objective of the Egyptian army, which is training the forces and bringing them to full offensive readiness for missions assigned to them unexpectedly."
The site highlighted that "in a short time, or in other words, the remarks of the Egyptian general indicate the preparation for a strategic military surprise reminiscent of the Yom Kippur War (the Hebrew name for the October 6, 1973 War) once again, as the forces geared up for a major exercise for the Egyptian army that suddenly turned into an emergency situation or orders to go to war on a large scale."
El-Toudi clarified that the air defense forces are working on developing their existing systems with the help of domestic industry, focusing on enhancing the individual fighter's efficiency to achieve surprise through high combat readiness.
He confirmed that the political leadership places great importance on local application of technology and scientific research, relying on Egyptian talent, pointing out that the beginning was the establishment of a center for technical research and development with the help of a select group of distinguished air defense officers trained inside and outside Egypt who have obtained the highest academic degrees. These officers are seen as the cornerstone of the modernization and technology transfer system, striving to acquire technology for manufacturing Egyptian air defense systems.
He explained that the air defense forces will produce Egyptian radars, command and control centers, identification systems, advanced vehicles, and counter-drone systems in collaboration with military research centers and civilian entities, benefiting from the Arab industrial base represented by the Arab Organization for Industrialization and the Ministry of Military Production, asserting that these products have been approved for field use by the air defense forces.
Furthermore, he added that the air defense forces are constantly working on developing unconventional solutions for the technical problems they face due to the complexity of technology and the rapid evolution of air combat, indicating that Egypt possesses a comprehensive air defense system that includes intelligence and warning elements, such as early warning aircraft, airborne and ground radars, and air surveillance elements to address these threats.
