Security
United States affirms strong and enduring defense partnership with Egypt
Military deals between Egypt and the United States move forward as new US administration affirms longstanding bilateral relationship.
Learn about the biggest deal between Egypt and the United States, which involves modernizing and upgrading US Abrams tanks and supplying Egypt with Hellfire missiles and a set of precision weapons that will contribute to enhancing Egyptian military power.
By Jana al-Masri |
CAIRO -- The longstanding and newly reaffirmed strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States significantly enhances security in the Middle East and North Africa, military experts said.
New US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 23 "affirmed the importance of the US-Egypt strategic partnership for promoting regional peace, security and stability," in an initial phone call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdelatty.
In December, the US State Department approved Egypt’s three foreign military sales requests for Abrams tank refurbishment, Hellfire AGM-114R missiles and Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS).
Under a co-production program with the United States, Egypt has assembled 1,200 US M1A1 Abrams battle tanks since 1987, the Carnegie Middle East Centre said in a February 2019 report.
![The M1A1 Abrams main battle tank, seen here in a photo posted online December 12, 2024, is assembled in Egypt at Factory 200, the country's largest military vehicle manufacturing and repair facility. [Egyptian Army]](/gc1/images/2025/01/30/48922-m1a1-Abrams-tank-600_384.webp)
The Egyptian army has around 555 Abrams tanks in service and at least 4,000 main battle tanks in total, "far and away the largest such fleet in the region."
Egypt boasts the largest military on the African continent, and one of the most powerful in the Middle East. It ranks 19th in the 2025 Global Fire Power Index -- a measure of current available firepower.
it has achieved this ranking with significant assistance from the United States, including counterterrorism funding.
Egypt operates US armored vehicles and flies US aircraft, and the two nations take part in regular bilateral and multilateral military training exercises in Egypt and across the region.
'Qualitative leap'
"The latest agreement between Egypt and the United States to upgrade the M1A1 Abrams tanks to the newer M1A1SA model represents a qualitative leap for the Egyptian army," military vehicle specialist Rami Mahmoud said.
The deal "focuses on enhancing visibility, surveillance and speed by upgrading engines, speed and transmissions," he told Al-Fassel.
"Additionally, the deal includes improvements in maneuverability and camouflage capabilities using smoke grenades, with full US support for spare parts and maintenance."
"Egypt’s military technical capabilities have proven their effectiveness in recent years, which encouraged the US to proceed with this agreement -- one that is mutually beneficial," he added.
The United States in September approved the sale of 720 Stinger missiles to Egypt to "improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability," the State Department said.
Egypt "serves as a key pillar of regional security," said military expert Yahya Mohamed Ali, noting that upgrading US-made tank systems to keep pace with technological advancements will positively impact regional security.
Overall, Ali told Al-Fassel, the new military deal reflects the "US government’s confidence in Egypt and its ability to collaborate on maintaining regional security—politically, diplomatically and militarily."