Egyptian forces face a growing threat from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Sinai Peninsula and could use U.S. help to counter them, according to a key American general.
A suite of counter-IED equipment, ranging from jammers to protective vehicles, “would be extraordinarily helpful to them,” said Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, who testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee March 9.
IS-Sinai, an Islamic State affiliate, conducts “frequent attacks” against the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF), and security services, Votel told lawmakers. In the coming months, his command plans to work with the EAF to further enhance its ability to counter makeshift bombs and other weapons used by terrorist groups.
“While the EAF has managed to contain violence in the Sinai Peninsula without a comprehensive strategy to defeat IS-Sinai, we have a vested interest in helping them to effectively address this threat to ensure that the Sinai does not become a safe haven for extremist elements,” Votel said.
Votel noted that his command works with the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization, part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, to field counter-IED equipment.
In other comments, Votel testified that hostile unmanned aerial systems are “rapidly evolving” in his command’s area of responsibility and that countering them is a “top priority.”
Many non-state actors, including the Islamic State, al Qaida, the Taliban, Lebanese Hezbollah and Fatah al-Sham, are using both commercial and military drones to conduct reconnaissance and mount attacks against U.S. and coalition forces. State actors, meanwhile, are fielding increasingly sophisticated UAS.
Votel’s command is working with various defense agencies and industry to develop counter-UAS systems. “The ability to rapidly respond to this emerging threat is critical to mission success and requires increased funding to promote innovative solutions with expedited testing and rapid acquisition,” he said.