Nasser travels to Moscow to ask for air
defense
weapons
General
Mohamed Abd Al-Ghany Al-Gamasy said in his memoirs ( President Abd Al-Nasser felt the dangerous
situation when Israel began to bomb civil and
military targets deeply inside the country. In
January 1970, Israel directed its attacks on Al Tall
Al-Kabeer, Enshas, Dahshour, and some of the Delta
Cities. On February, Israel directed its air raids
on Abu-Za'bal and Helwan, the Egyptian loss in Abu Za'bal
was 70 victims of civilian people.
On April, the Israeli aircraft bombard Bahr Al-Bakar school
and killed 30 student. Therefore, Abd Al-Nasser
traveled to Moscow on 22 of January till 25 to
explain the situation for the Soviet Union and asked
for air defense weapons, missiles, aircrafts and radars
more advanced than that we had."
General Mohamed Fawzi who was
in a military
committee in that tour with the president Abd
Al-Nasser said "It was a very important meeting with the soviet
leaders since 1967, president Abd Al-Nasser escalated talks
very much, that he threatened, before the
soviet leaders, to leave his position to another one
who would be able to deal with the U.S.A.
And said " Our
people in Egypt live a very critical stage.
Therefore,
either we accept Israel demands or continue our
fight. And our air defense now unable to prevent
Israeli raids which reach deeply inside Egypt.". He
continued to ask for complete units of surface to
air missile (SAM) SA-3
missiles with their soviet crews, besides complete
squadrons of "MEG 21" aircrafts with soviet pilots and
developed radars for alarming and following, with
their soviet crews.
President Abd Al-Nasser
clarified his demand saying
"Time don't help us, because training Egyptian crews and pilots on the
new weapons takes time. President repeats his demand for
fighter bombers because our aircrafts are not
capable of reaching deeply inside Israel like "Skyhawk"
and "Phantom"
aircrafts that hits Egypt now
in the depth."
In the session talks, on January 25 , 1970,
the Russian president
Brezhnev declared the
approval of the central committee and
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
on Abd Al Nasser's demand, saying "It is the first time for a soviet
soldier to serve outside the soviet union to a friendly
country since the second world war.", Then, he read the
report which is summarized as follows:
First: Providing Egypt with a complete group of SA-3
missiles with its sets and crews within a
month, to be under the Egyptian control for the
purpose of air defense of the Egyptian depth.
Second: Providing Egypt
with 95
"MIG 21"
aircrafts adapted with new engine, with their soviet
commanders, pilots, directors, technicians,
instruments, Radars for alarming and directing,
technical tools and vehicles. To be put under the
Egyptian control to contribute the air defense of
the Egyptian depth and to reach within a month in
addition to 50 "Sukhoi 9"
aircraft, 10 "MIG 21" training planes, 50
engine of "MEG 21" aircrafts
adapted from a new type to be installed in the "MIG
21" aircrafts in Egypt.
Third: Providing Egypt with four Radar
"P15" to
increase the performance of Egyptian Air Defense.
Fourth: Egypt will do the arrangements of
defense
fortification, constructive utilities for these
instruments to be ready in the sites planned by the
Egyptian military command before coming to Egypt.
Fifth: The soviet soldiers, stay in Egypt for a
temporary period till the training of the Egyptian
Brigades of air defense and air forces is
completed, in a training centers in the soviet union and Egypt camps at
the same time.
Then, the soviet come back home.
President
Brezhnev mentions, repeatedly, the duty
of the air forces and air defense have to be in the
depth of Egypt." General Mohamed Fawzi "The Three Years
War" form 1967 to 1970.
Source:
October War 1973, second
edition 1998. General Mohamed Abd Al-Ghany Al-Gamasy
chief of operations of
Egyptian Army during the
war.
Related links on the Internet:
General Mohamed Fawzi talking
to Al-Ahram Weekly about the three years
war.
