Half of military budget earmarked for new weaponry CAIRO: The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) marked in a ceremony the delivery of 35 remanufactured AH-64D Apache helicopters from Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, a unit of The Boeing Company as reported by rotorhub.com. Present at the ceremony were 150 representatives from the EAF, Boeing and the US army. Military analyst Gamal Mazloum told The Daily Star Egypt that this deal was a normal part of an army upgrading its weapons' capabilities and the helicopters could be employed for a number of tasks. "They can be used as part of the air defense system and also for electronic reconnaissance, he said. According to Mazloum, 50 percent of the Egyptian army's budget is dedicated to purchasing new weapons while the remainder is for maintenance of existing weaponry and administrative costs. He added "This is for defense of the nation and improvement of existing arms. This process of updating is something every army does and must do. According to rotorhub.com, the new helicopters were all converted from the earlier AH-64A models at Boeing's rotorcraft enter in Arizona and the final six were delivered to Egypt late last year. Boeing vice president of Apache programs Al Winn was quoted as saying "Boeing and the Apache team have enjoyed an outstanding relationship with the Egyptian Air Force for more than 20 years. We re proud to know that this relationship will have the opportunity to grow and prosper for many years to come. Winn added that Boeing will continue to work with the EAF in providing technical, support maintenance and spare parts through its Boeing Support Systems group. The new AH-64D Apaches feature improvements in long range weapons accuracy, all weather operations, networking and digital communications and real-time combat management according to rotorhub.com. Through its Boeing Integrated Defense Systems arm, The Boeing Company is one of the most integral players in military solutions, especially for the US army but also other armies around the world.
