The Egyptian Air Force proudly celebrates 75 years of fights and flights. Amirah Ibrahim reviews the ups and downs of the oldest air force in the Middle East In 1928 the Egyptian parliament proposed the creation of an air force. The Egyptian Ministry of War announced that it needed volunteers for the new military force. Over 200 Egyptian officers volunteered and were given strict medical tests and technical examinations. In the end, only three succeeded in becoming the first Egyptian pilots: Capt Abdel-Moneim El-Miqati, Capt Fouad Hagag and Capt Ahmed Abdel-Razeq. The three officers joined the Royal Air Force Flying Training School No 4 at Abu Suwayer near the Suez Canal, where they were trained on a variety of aircraft. Upon graduation they went to England for specialised training. On 2 November 1930, a royal decree by King Fouad stipulated the creation of the Egyptian Army Air Force (EAAF). The decree allocated LE50,000 to fund the new force, LE43,000 to establish an airport and LE7,000 to purchase seven new airplanes. Almost a year later, in September 1931, the British De Havilland aircraft company won a contract to supply Egypt with 10 De Havilland Gipsy Moth trainers. The company planned to send the planes as a shipment by sea, but the Egyptian government protested and insisted on sending Egyptian pilots to fly the new fleet. The shipment thus returned to England and five planes took off from London flown by three Egyptian pilots and two Englishmen. The planes landed in Almaza airport where King Fouad and top government officials and the public welcomed them. The first commander of the EAAF was a Canadian squadron leader, Victor Herbert Tait. In 1934, the British government provided 10 Avro 626 aircraft, which were the first real Egyptian military planes. A further 17 626s, together with Hawker Audaxes and Avro Ansons, followed shortly afterwards. In 1937 the Egyptian Army Air Force separated from the army command and became an independent branch under the name the Royal Egyptian Air Force (REAF). New bases were built at the Suez Canal zone and the Western Desert. In 1938 the REAF received two squadrons of Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters and a squadron of the advanced Westland Lysander reconnaissance aircraft. The establishment of a high school for flying in 1938, during the British occupation, was the first stone laid in the foundation of the Air Academy. The cadets of the first school were army, police and non- commissioned officers who were medically fit for flying. The Flying Academy was composed of five departmental wings for flying, science, technical, cadets and administration. The Air Academy, renovated and inaugurated on 24 July 1960, included air navigation, military science and an administration. During World War II, the Royal Air Force established more bases in Egypt after the Egyptian border was threatened by an Italian and German invasion. A few additional aircraft were supplied by Britain. The REAF then received its first modern fighters, Hawker Hurricanes, in 1941. In the immediate post-war period, cheap war surplus aircraft, including a large number of Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXs were acquired. The EAF contributed to the 1948 war with C-47 Dakotas and Spitfires and managed to shoot down two Israeli aircraft. Relations with Britain were soon restored, and new Mk22 Spitfires were purchased to replace the earlier models. In late 1949, Egypt received its first jet fighter, the British Gloster Meteor F4. When the 1952 Revolution took root in Egypt, three of its leading members, the "Free Officers", were from the Air Force. The policy of the revolutionists led Egypt to acquire aircraft from the Eastern bloc. The first Soviet aircraft arrived in Egypt in 1955. Initial deliveries included MiG-15 fighters, Ilyushin Il-28 bombers, Il-14 transports, and Yak-11 trainers. The Suez Crisis in 1956, when Egypt was attacked by Israel, France and the United Kingdom, forced the EAF to begin rebuilding its air force with non-British help. By the mid-1960s, British aircraft were replaced completely by Soviet hardware as the Soviet Union became the principal supplier of the EAF and many other Arab states. This allowed the EAF to greatly modernise and boost its combat effectiveness. The MiG-21 Fishbed arrived in the early 1960s, bringing with it a Mach 2 capability. In 1967, Egypt had 200 MiG-21s. The Air Force also began flying the Sukhoi Su-7 fighter/bomber in the mid-1960s. During the 1967 War, the EAF was destroyed on the ground in mere hours after Israel's retaliation against Egyptian forces massed at the border. On 14 July 1967, the air force launched a strike on Israeli targets, forcing them to withdraw from the front line. Following the 1967 defeat, Egypt carried out a prolonged campaign of attrition against Israel, while rebuilding its air force again. The insignia of the Egyptian Air Force consists of three circles -- the outside is red, the middle white, and the inner one black, the colours of the Egyptian flag. The former insignia of the EAF included a similar variant, with two green stars used from 1961 to 1973, and one with the old Egyptian crescent which had three stars on a green background.
