Israeli sources published a long list of land, sea and air weapons that Egypt allegedly has received, is receiving or will receive from Communist and Western sources under contracts signed since the Yom Kippur War.
The release of the list yesterday coincided with Sadat’s current tour of five European countries during which he has been seeking arms and economic aid on the pretext that previous sources have been closed to Egypt as a result of Cairo’s recent abrogation of its friendship pact with the Soviet Union.
According to the sources, Egyptian land forces have or will receive: 950 tanks from the Soviet Union; 150 tanks from Yugoslavia; 42 million Pounds Sterling worth of British-made swingfire anti-tank missiles; French-made antitank missiles; and 300 units of laser range-finders from Yugoslavia and Sweden. Equipment flowing to the Egyptian air force, the sources said, consists of the following:
Twenty-five MIG-23 jets from the USSR in addition to 25-35 other jet interceptors; 38 Mirage-E jets ordered from France and partly delivered; 44 Mirage F-1 jets from France, partly delivered; 100 of the Franco-German-made “Alpha” jets ordered from France; 24 commando helicopters ordered from England, partly supplied; six other helicopters from England, ordered and partly supplied; 42 Gazelle light attack helicopters ordered from France; Magique and other type air-to-air missiles ordered from France in large quantities; and large quantities of ground-to-air missiles ordered from France.
ENOUGH WEAPONS TO START WAR
The sources said the equipment for Egypt’s navy includes: an unspecified number of Soviet-made LCTs (landing craft; tanks) of the Polnochni type; three SRN hovercraft ordered from Britain; French or British-built missile boats ordered in large quantities; commando dinghies; and British-made radar equipment.
Israeli experts said yesterday that the Egyptian army has at present the offensive capability to start a war. They contend that the “crises” in Egyptian-Soviet relations are nothing new, noting that the Egyptian ouster of Soviet military advisors and technicians in 1972 proved to have been a “decoy” because in 1973 they launched the Yom Kippur War with Soviet equipment. Although Egypt has no reason to start a war now, it can do so and therefore Israel must be watchful, the experts said.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
