(CNN) -- Egypt's military has produced all three presidents the country has had since a 1952 coup led by Lt. Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser ended the monarchy, and the army remains a powerful force.
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Key facts about Egypt's military:
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It is one of the world's largest recipients of U.S. military aid. Washington agreed to a $13 billion, 10-year aid package to Egypt in 2007.
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Morale in the military and paramilitary security forces is good, partly because of a higher standard of living among the military than the population as a whole, according to Jane's Intelligence. The military monitors troops to keep Islamist influence in check.
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President Hosni Mubarak was commander of Egypt's air force during the 1973 war with Israel, which saw initial Arab victories before Israel's counterattack defeated the Arab armies. Mubarak became President Anwar Sadat's vice president in 1975 and became president when Sadat was assassinated in 1981.
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Egypt's military is among the largest in the Middle East. Older officers were trained in the Soviet Union, but younger ones studied in the west. Egypt regularly conducts joint military exercises with NATO.