Third Army (Egypt)

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Third Field Army
الجيش الثالث الميداني
Active	November 1968 – present
Country	Egypt
Type	Field Army
Role	Defense of Suez and South Sinai
Size	90,000 - 120,000
Part of	Unified Command of the area east of the canal
Headquarters	Suez
Colors Identification	Red, White and Black
Engagements	War of Attrition Yom Kippur War Operation Badr Sinai Insurgency
Commanders
Field Army Commander	Major General Khaled Qenawi
Notable commanders	Kadri Osman Ahmed Badawi Abdul Munim Wassel Osama Askar

The Third Field Army is a field army of the Egyptian Army, with its headquarters in Suez. It is now part of the Unified Command of the area east of the canal (Egypt).

On 31 January 2015 a "unified command" was established to oversee counterterrorism operations east of the Suez Canal.^[1] Osama Askar, commander of the Third Army, was promoted to lieutenant general and given command of the new "unified command."^[2] Askar will also retain his seat on the SCAF. Askar's former deputy, Muhammad Abdullah, has been appointed commander, and Tarek Anwar Helal the chief of staff, of the Third Army.^[3]

In May 2018 the Third Army comprised the 4th Armoured Division; the 19th Infantry Division, which included an armoured brigade, but whose remaining troops might have been un-mechanized infantry; the 23rd Mechanized Division; and the 11th Armoured Brigade.^[4] Previous army commander Osama Askar had previously commanded the 23rd Mechanized Division earlier in his career.^[5] The 23rd Division, under Brig Gen Ahmad 'Aboud el Zommer, was previously part of the Second Field Army during the Yom Kippur War.^[6]