Third Army (Egypt)
| Third Field Army | |
|---|---|
| Active | November 1968 - Present |
| Country |
 Egypt |
| Allegiance |
 Egyptian Army |
| Branch | Active Duty |
| Type | Field Army |
| Role |
Combined arms strike formation Strategic headquarters element |
| HQ/Command Control Headquarter | Suez |
| Nickname(s) | Third Field Army/ El-Geish el-Thalth el-midani |
| Colors Identification |
Red, White and Black |
| Anniversaries | 6 October 1973 |
| Engagements |
War of Attrition Yom Kippur War |
| Commanders | |
| Corps Commander |
 Major General Mohamed Abdellah |
| Notable commanders |
Kadri Osman Ahmed Badawi Abdul Munim Wassel Osama Askar |
The Third Field Army is one of the Egyptian armed forces, armies, and located his headquarters in Suez. It is now part of the Unified Command of the area east of the canal (Egypt). It may currently have seven divisions assigned to it.
On 31 January 2015 a "unified command" was established to oversee counterterrorism operations east of the Suez Canal.[1] Osama Askar, commander of the Third Army, was promoted to lieutenant general and given command of the new "unified command."[2] Askar will also retain his seat on the SCAF. Askar’s former deputy, Muhammad Abdullah, has been appointed commander, and Tarek Anwar Helal the chief of staff, of the Third Army.[3]
Among Third Army's forces is the 23rd Mechanised Infantry Division, which previous army commander Osama Askar commanded earlier in his career. The 23rd Division, under Brig Gen Ahmad 'Aboud el Zommer, was previously part of the Second Field Army during the Yom Kippur War.[4]
Operation Badr order of battle
Just before the beginning of Operation Badr in October 1973, the army had the following troops under its control:[4]
- Headquarters Third Army (Southern Canal Zone) - Maj Gen Abdel Mun'im Wasel
- Chief of Staff - Maj Gen Mustafa Shaheen
- Chief of Artillery - Maj Gen Munir Shash
- 7th Infantry Division* - Brig Gen Ahmad Badawi Said Ahmad
- 2nd Infantry Brigade
- 11th Mechanized Infantry Brigade
- 8th Mechanized Infantry Brigade
- 19th Infantry Division* - Brig Gen Yusuf Afifi Mohamed
- 5th Infantry Brigade
- 7th Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade
- 4th Armoured Division - Brig Gen Mohamed Abd el Aziz Qabil
- 2nd Armored Brigade
- 3rd Armored Brigade*[5]
- 6th Armored Brigade
- 6th Mechanised Division - Brig Gen Mohamed Abul Fatah Muharam
- 22nd Armored Brigade*[6]
- 113th Mechanised Brigade
- 1st Mechanised Brigade
- 130th Independent Amphibious Brigade[7] - Col Mahmoud Shu'aib. At the start of the war the brigade had seventy-four BTR-50 or OT-64 SKOT armoured personnel carriers and 24 PT-76 amphibious light tanks.[8]
- 25th Independent Armored Brigade*[9] - Col Ahmed Helmy Badawy
- 7th Infantry Division* - Brig Gen Ahmad Badawi Said Ahmad
References
- ↑ "Egypt's New Military Brass". www.washingtoninstitute.org. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
- ↑ "Egyptian army makes leadership changes". Middle East Monitor – The Latest from the Middle East. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
- ↑ "Egypt: Land of the Generals". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
- 1 2 Dupuy, Trevor N. (2002). Elusive Victory: The Arab-Israeli Wars, 1947-1974. Military Book Club. ISBN 0-9654428-0-2.
- ↑ Attached to 19th Division
- ↑ Attached to 19th Division
- ↑ Joseph Bermudez. "The Egyptian 130th Amphibious Brigade". www.dtic.mil. Marine Corps Gazette. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ↑ Asher, Dani (2009). The Egyptian Strategy for the Yom Kippur War: An Analysis. McFarland. p. 260. ISBN 9780786454006.
- ↑ Attached to 7th Division