Egyptian Air Force Upgrades Fleet Capabilities with $2 Billion Order for 24 Elite Su-35 Fighter Jets

A number of sources reported on March 18th that the Egyptian Air Force was set to acquire two dozen of Russia’s elite Su-35 air superiority fighters, which would be delivered from 2020-2021 alongside munitions, maintenance infrastructure and provision of training for Egyptian pilots. The contract reportedly amounted to $2 billion, and marks the first time Egypt has sought to purchase combat aircraft from the Sukhoi design bureau since the late 1960s - when orders were placed for Su-17 strike fighters for use in the Yom Kippur War. The contract appears to closely resemble one signed by China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force in November 2015 - also valued at $2 billion for 24 Su-35 jets - which have since conducted frequent patrols over the South China Sea. Whether the aircraft will replace an existing squadron of older fighters such as the F-4 Phantom or MiG-21, which are deployed in large number by the Egyptian Air Force, or whether they are intended as part of a fleet expansion plan, remains to be seen.

Acquisition of the Su-35 represents the first time Egypt has purchased a high end air superiority fighter, with its fleet historically having relied solely on light fighters such as the MiG-21, Mirage 2000 and F-16 - the vast majority of them single engine. A breakdown in relations with the Soviet Union in the mid 1970s, which saw Cairo pivot to the Western Bloc and even provide the United States with its Soviet built MiG-23 fighters for evaluation, ended prospects for potential acquisition of higher end Soviet platforms when they became available in the 1970s such as the Su-27 or MiG-31. The United States meanwhile refused to provide Egypt with its own high end twin engine combat jet, the F-15, much to the chagrin of the Egyptian Air Force - leaving it at a considerable advantage relative to neighbouring states such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Algeria which all deployed high end platforms such as the F-15 (Israel, Saudi), Su-27 (Ethiopia, Eritrea) and Su-30 (Algeria).

It was only with the coming to power of a new government from 2013 that Egypt began to seriously strengthen its defences - moving within weeks of coming to power to purchase MiG-29M medium fighters. These are currently the most capable in its inventory - and complementary S-300V4 air defence systems and Ka-52 attack helicopters among other vital assets were also acquired alongside T-90 battle tanks and other state of the art Russian systems. The MiG-29M gave the Egyptian Air Force its first high end beyond visual range air to air capability - deploying missiles with a 130km engagement range and modern electronic warfare countermeasures. The air to air munitions of older fighters were seriously lacking by contrast and the country's F-16 Fighting Falcons, while numerous, did not deploy any remotely modern air to air munitions such as the AIM-120 due to an American export ban. The Su-35 for its part deploys capabilities well ahead of even the MiG-29M, and is a generation and weight range ahead surpassing the capabilities of the aircraft of all neighbouring states both in the Middle East and Africa. The fighter’s payload of fourteen air to air missiles (almost double the F-15C), three dimensional thrust vectoring capabilities, powerful sensors, advanced electronic warfare systems, and very high speed and altitude will without a doubt make them the most capable jets in the country’s fleet.