History
The EIFV was originally developed by BAE Systems, Ground Systems Division under contract to the Egyptian Ministry of Defense. It was developed to be a conversion of the M113, of which the Egyptian Army has a total of 2,650, as well as an additional 1,200 AIFVs (modified M113s), but it can also be produced as new vehicles. Design activities first commenced in 1995, and the first prototype was assembled in the Egyptian Tank Plant where assembly of the M1 Abrams is carried out for the Egyptian Army. The first prototype was completed in 1996 and performance validation trials were completed in mid-1997. Production in Egypt is undertaken by the Egyptian Tank Plant, and the Egyptian Army plans to convert it existing AIFVs to the EIFV configuration.
Read more about this topic: Egyptian Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“The whole history of civilisation is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards.”
—Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)
“Look through the whole history of countries professing the Romish religion, and you will uniformly find the leaven of this besetting and accursed principle of action—that the end will sanction any means.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834)
“A country grows in history not only because of the heroism of its troops on the field of battle, it grows also when it turns to justice and to right for the conservation of its interests.”
—Aristide Briand (1862–1932)