Egyptian air force commander Reda Hafiz said in a recent statement, “Egypt will not wait for any amendments to the Camp David Treaty to increasing the number of armed forces in the Sinai Peninsula, because Sinai is our land and we do not need permission to increase troops on our land.” Hafiz said Egyptian planes are patrolling the area to secure all Egyptian borders, including Sharqia. He said the increase in the numbers of troops in the Sinai Peninsula was necessary to secure the borders throughout the day. Hafiz said the Egyptian armed forces have enacted enough policies to make it immune to the threat of a reduction of American aid. Egypt is the largest recipient of U.S. aid after Israel, receiving roughly $1 billion in military aid each year. He said increasing public debt, which has reached more than three trillion EGP (U.S. $508 billion), does not affect plans for development of the armed forces or air forces. The Egyptian air force has obtained the latest aviation technologies, said Hafiz, adding that the air force has an integrated system of aircrafts as well as experience, due to several wars and up-to-date and extensive training on the equipment being used. He said the air force contributed to Egypt's January 25 Revolution by intensifying air protection drills throughout all geographic areas of the country. The number of protective drill flights from January 25 to March 30 was 30,500, meaning that every hour there were approximately 14 flights. Hafiz explained that the air force participated not only in securing borders during this time period, but also by preventing drugs and weapons smuggling and transferring salaries to banks in different parts of the country. The Egyptian air force also played a key role in protecting Egyptians abroad by transferring Egyptian citizens who were stranded at the Libyan border back to Egypt. Hafiz added that the Egyptian air force also studies political changes and international disputes to understand the political climate in the region, which is vital for Egyptian security.
