Republican Guard (Egypt)

The Republican Guard Division is the only significant military unit allowed in central Cairo.{{Cite web|url=https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/egyptian-military-fighting-enemies-domestic-not-foreign|title=The Egyptian Military: Fighting Enemies Domestic, Not Foreign|date=15 November 2014|website=Stratfor}}

The Republican Guard House, or the Republican Guard Club, is located on Salah Salem Street, next to the El Obour Buildings. It is a recreational club for Republican Guard officers and has a wedding hall used for weddings. It witnessed a sit-in outside its walls by supporters of the ousted President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 due to their belief that he was being kept inside.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/jul/18/cairo-republican-guard-shooting-full-story#part-one|title=Killing in Cairo: the full story of the Republican Guards' club shootings|date=18 July 2013|website=Human Rights Watch}}

File:2011 Egypt protests - Republican guard helicopter flying over demonstators.jpg]]

The Republican Guard was established in 1955, three years after the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan was toppled in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and three years after the declaration of the Republic of Egypt. The office of President of Egypt being vacant from November 1954 to January 1956 following the forced resignation of Egypt's first President, Mohamed Naguib, it was Prime Minister (and eventual second President of Egypt) Gamal Abdel Nasser who ordered the creation of the Guard, issuing instructions to General Nasser Mohammad Laithi Nassif to oversee a dedicated military unit with responsibility for protecting the institutions of government in the capital, Cairo, especially the Presidency. Known originally as the National Guard, it was mainly a paramilitary force, but was expanded into a large military force, first at a brigade level in the 1950s and 1960s, and incorporated into the Egyptian Armored Corps in 1985. It was still the size of an armoured brigade in 1990,{{cite book| editor-last=Metz | editor-first=Helen Chapin | editor-link=Helen Chapin Metz | title=Egypt : a country study | url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/frdcstdy.egyptcountrystud00metz/?sp=359&st=text | publisher=Federal Research Division, Library of Congress : For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. | place=Washington, D.C. | date=1991 | page=307}} but was then augmented to division level,

Secondary duties are to protect presidential sites and important State buildings in Cairo (such as the Federal Palace, the Dome Palace, the Abdeen Palace and the Tahra Palace),Egyptian Institute for Studies, “لجيش المصري: التكوين و خرائط الانتشار [Egyptian Army Maps],” المعهد المصري للدراسات, May 17, 2018. to provide Honor Guard and security services for the highest national personalities and important foreign guests; and to respond to any rebellion, coup, or other threat to the government of the Republic.

Members are mainly but not exclusively volunteers on deputation from other Army units, mainly armored and mechanized units, who receive bonuses and subsidized housing, and received greater training than the regular army. The Egyptian Republican Guard, however, doesn't recruit directly from the population, unlike their Syrian, Yemeni, and (formerly) Iraqi counterparts. The bulk of its troops are recruited from other Army units, mainly on the basis of performance and advanced training in urban and other types of modern warfare.

Generally components of one or more Brigades of the Guard have been deployed to forward divisions on Egypt's eastern and western borders.

The Republican Guard is mainly equipped with M60 Patton and M1A1 Abrams tanks, Fahd 280, BMP-1 and AIFV armoured fighting vehicles. There are several anti-tank infantry platoons as well, equipped with the AT-13 Saxhorn and BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles. They were{{clarify|dated=February 2015|date=February 2015}} initially trained by the Soviet Army in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Military Police battalions of the Republican Guard have often been deployed as conventional Riot Police armed with teargas, water cannons and batons, especially during civil unrest targeting key Defence installations and buildings.

At dawn on July 8, 2013, a series of clashes erupted between Republican Guard soldiers and protesters who demanded the return of the former President Mohamed Morsi to power following the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état. This led to at least 61 deaths and 435 injuries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/08/12/egypt-raba-killings-likely-crimes-against-humanity|title=Egypt: Rab'a Killings Likely Crimes against Humanity|date=12 August 2014|website=Human Rights Watch}}

The Republican Guard is under the direct command of the Ministry of Defense. Its current commander is General Mohamed Ahmed Zaki.

• Staff Brigadier General Mustafa Shawkat (February 2020 – present)[https://www.elbalad.news/4165062 صدى البلد - بطولة الجمهورية للفروسية بنادي الحرس الجمهوري] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207183544/https://www.elbalad.news/4165062 |date=7 February 2020}}
• Staff General / Ahmed Ali (2017 - 2020)[https://www.vetogate.com/3286318 بوابة فيتو - معلومات لا تعرفها عن شريف سيف الدين رئيس هيئة الرقابة الإدارية الجديد] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913112522/https://www.vetogate.com/3286318 |date=13 September 2018}}
• Lieutenant General Mohamed Ahmed Zaki (August 12, 2012 - TBC)[http://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/352318 الوطن - «الوطن» تنفرد بنشر تفاصيل المواجهة بين «مرسى» وقائد الحرس الجمهورى قبل ثورة 30 يونيو.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170512084400/http://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/352318 |date=12 May 2017}}[http://www.shorouknews.com/news/view.aspx?cdate=18012017&id=4246e0cf-639f-4d9a-93e1-fc0a58d16c5c الشروق - الرئيس يصدق على ترقية قائد الحرس الجمهوري لرتبة «فريق»] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120174342/http://www.shorouknews.com/news/view.aspx?cdate=18012017&id=4246e0cf-639f-4d9a-93e1-fc0a58d16c5c |date=20 January 2017}}
• Brigade / Naguib Abdel Salam{{Cite web |url=http://www1.youm7.com/story/2014/8/7/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%B3_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%89_%D9%81%D9%89_%D8%B9%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%89_%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%83_%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%89_%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%89_%D8%A8%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%89_%D9%84%D9%88_%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%D9%81%D8%A7%AE%D8%B1%D9%86/1809239#.VDmcxVfSVMI |title=اليوم السابع - قائد الحرس الجمهوري في عهدي مبارك ومرسى. |access-date=2022-07-16 |archive-date=2020-08-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820014243/https://www.youm7.com/story/2014/8/7/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%B3_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%89_%D9%81%D9%89_%D8%B9%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%89_%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%83_%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%89_%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%89_%D8%A8%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%89_%D9%84%D9%88_%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%D9%81%D8%A7%AE%D8%B1%D9%86/1809239#.VDmcxVfSVMI |url-status=dead }}
• Staff General / Sami Abu Al-Atta Diab[http://yyy.ahram.org.eg/archive/2007/6/24/FRON20.HTM الأهرام - الرئيس مبارك يزور قوات الحرس الجمهوري.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301204226/http://yyy.ahram.org.eg/archive/2007/6/24/FRON20.HTM |date=1 March 2014}}
• Staff General / Muhammad Hani Metwally
• Staff General / Sabri Al-Adawi (December 2001)
• Staff General / Mahmoud Khalaf
• earlier commanders

{{Egyptian military}}

• HQ Republican Guard Armored Division (aka 1st Republican Guard Armored Division)See Order of Battle at {{cite web |url=http://www.orbat.com/site/cwa_open/toc.htm |title=Army Orders of Battle |accessdate=2009-10-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026195734/http://orbat.com/site/cwa_open/toc.htm |archivedate=2009-10-26 }}, accessed August 2009
• Armored brigades
• 2 Armored Brigades (33rd & 35th)
• 4 Armored Battalions (118th, 119th, 120th, 121st)
• 2 Mechanized Battalions (41st & 42nd)
• Mechanized Brigades
• 2 Mechanized Brigades (510th & 512th)
• 6 Mechanized Battalions (41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th)
• 2 Armored Battalions (116th & 117th)
• 1 S/P Artillery Brigade Command H.Q. (Brigade level)
• 4 S/P Artillery Battalions (1st to 4th)
• 16 S/P Artillery Batteries

File:Russian-Egyptian talks 01.jpg

The Republican Guard has a distinctive uniform different from that of the regular Egyptian Army. The service uniform of the Guards is of a tan color with a distinctive blue beret and epaulets. A blue-grey parade uniform is worn by honor guard and other ceremonial detachments. The Military Police battalions wear a red beret, with a red colored helmet when deployed in riot control duties.

• Republican guard
• Central Security Forces

{{Egyptian Army}}

Category:Military units and formations of Egypt

Category:Guards regiments

Category:Guards of honour

Category:Military units and formations established in 1955

Category:1955 establishments in Egypt