Egypt ‘preparing for another Yom Kippur War,’ warns Israeli media site

Israeli media have raised concerns about the increasing strength of Egypt’s air defence forces, citing their possession of highly advanced weaponry, mostly of Russian origin, as well as domestically produced arms. One website has even warned that Egypt is “preparing for another Yom Kippur War”, a reference to what Egyptians call the 1973 October War.

The Commander of the Egyptian Air Defence Forces, Major General Yasser El-Tawdi, has been quoted as saying that in an era of open skies and accessible information via satellites, electronic intelligence systems or global information networks, the key lies in the ability to maximise the capabilities of these weapons and equipment. He emphasised that his forces are focused on achieving surprise through high combat readiness.

“The senior Egyptian officer’s remarks,” said Hebrew news website Nziv, “reflect the primary strategic objective of the Egyptian army, which is to train its forces and bring them to full offensive readiness for missions that may arise unexpectedly.”

The site suggested that Tawdi’s statements indicated preparations for a strategic military surprise similar to the 1973 war. The Egyptian forces were then ready for a major drill, which suddenly turned into an emergency with orders for a full-scale war.

El-Tawdi said that his troops are working on developing their current systems with the support of Egyptian industry and are keen on enhancing the individual efficiency of each soldier to have the element of surprise through high combat readiness. He confirmed that the political leadership in Cairo places great importance on the local implementation of technology and scientific research, relying on Egyptian skills.

“The first step was to establish a research and technical development centre with the assistance of a select group of distinguished air defence officers,” explained El-Tawdi. “These officers have received training both domestically and abroad, and have earned the highest academic degrees. They are considered the cornerstone of the modernisation system and technology transfer, as they strive to acquire the necessary technology for manufacturing Egyptian air defence systems.”

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