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 Egypt Size: 1,000,258 square kilometers. Population: 63 million |
Egypt is undergoing the largest rearmament drive since the early 1970s.
Egypt has been expanding its air force, air defense, artillery and tank
corps and is regarded as being the most powerful country in the Arab world.
In a move that began in 1979, Egypt has rebuilt its military on the basis of
Western systems and a mix of Western offensive and Soviet defensive combat
doctrine. Financing for the Egyptian effort comes largely from the $1.3
billion in annual U.S. military aid to Cairo. Egypt spent most of 2001
increasing its tank fleet and upgrading artillery and air defense systems
with help from the United States.But Egypt has been pursuing strategic weapons from U.S. rivals. The United States has blocked Cairo from accepting a delivery of No-Dong
intermediate-range missiles from North Korea. The Bush administration also
tried to block a proposed Russian sale of missiles and a spy satellite to
Egypt.The war in Afghanistan has exacerbated tensions between Cairo and
Washington. The two countries maintain economic and military ties. But
political ties are clearly strained as Egypt has refused to participate in
the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
In addition, Egypt's political establishment has been paralyzed by the
question of succession. Mubarak has been pushing his son Gamal. But the
military appears to oppose the prospect of a civilian leading the country.
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