Egyptian arms procurement in the post-1973 war era : a case study in the dynamics of the arms diversification process.
Authors
Sykes, William George
Subjects
Advisors
Laurance, E.J.
Date of Issue
1977-03
Date
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
This thesis explores the post-1973 Middle East War arms procurement
policy of Egypt. In embarking upon a policy of arms diversification
shortly after that conflict, Egypt is seeking to end a 20 year period
of exclusive reliance on the Soviet Union as a source of military hardware
and training. Egypt is a unique case because she will face not
only the wide array of problems common to any nation seeking to change
the hardware and training base of its military forces from one source
to another, but an additional set of problems stemming from the fact
that she is one of the principal Arab confrontation states in the Middle
East. This thesis addresses the decline in Soviet/Egyptian relations
wliich led to the new arms procurement policy, the evolving status of Egypt's military capability, and the technical problems to be overcome
in acquiring Western hardware and integrating that hardware into the
Egyptian force structure. It finally addresses the political issues
which will complicate the process of arms diversification. It concludes
that in the absence of significant pressure for a new war in the Middle
East, it will be possible for Egypt to rebuild its armed forces using
Western equipment, at the exclusion of the Soviet Union.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funding
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.