The Egyptian air force is large (25,000 men and 480 combat aircraft) and reasonably well-trained but suffers from the fact that it no longer receives aid from Russia to maintain its inventory of Soviet-built machines. It is also comprised of such a motley crew of different (and aging) aircraft types that its overall combat effectiveness is less than its size would suggest. Egypt is now attempting to fill its ranks with equipment from Western countries and from China, which provides copies of Soviet aircraft and parts. The hundreds of MiG and Sukhoi aircraft in the air force inventory are steadily being replaced by more capable F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighters.
