The Egyptian government has officially confirmed that it has deployed troops and military aircraft to Somalia as part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The announcement came after the Somali President invited the Egyptian military leadership to witness the preparations of the Egyptian army to join the African Union mission in Somalia. While in Cairo, President Hassan Sheikh met with senior Egyptian military officials and attended a military parade where the Egyptian army displayed equipment prepared for deployment to Somalia.
The Egyptian Ministry of Defense released images showing soldiers, armored vehicles and aircraft preparing for the trip, which were painted or painted with the AU flag.
The equipment prepared includes AT-802U light attack and reconnaissance aircraft, Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters, Mi-17 multi-purpose helicopters, and drones.
The Egyptian army has also been equipped with BAE Caiman and RG-33L 6×6 mine-resistant armored personnel carriers (MRAP), as well as NIMR Ajban 420 4×4 troop carriers.
According to Egyptian officials, the air assets will support an armored infantry force of approximately 1,100 soldiers, who will participate in the counter-insurgency and stabilization operations of the AUSSOM operation.
Egypt was one of the first countries to commit troops to AUSSOM, which officially began on 1 January 2025, although the deployment of troops has been delayed.
In August 2025, an Egyptian military delegation visited Somalia to conduct reconnaissance and preparations before the operation began.
The current mandate of the AUSSOM operation is set to end on 31 December 2026.
