Ying Yu Lin
Participants in the Eagles of Civilization 2025 joint training between China and Egypt, held from April 19-May 4, 2025.Credit: Facebook/ Egyptian Armed Forces
From April 19 to May 4 China and Egypt conducted the joint military exercise “Eagles of Civilization 2025.” The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) dispatched a detachment to Egypt for joint training with the air force of one of China’s key strategic partners in Africa. According to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, it was the first ever joint training between the militaries of China and Egypt.
The training subjects included airspace management, air combat operations management, efficient execution of orders, theoretical instruction, practical lectures, joint flights, basic maneuvers, air combat training, joint airstrikes, aerial refueling, air support, battlefield search and rescue, coordinated operations, and tactical confrontations. Over the course of two weeks, participating forces from both sides engaged in activities such as air combat training, aerial refueling, air support, battlefield search and rescue, professional knowledge exchanges, and air combat skill sharing.
The PLAAF detachment included four Y-20 transport aircraft and one YY-20 aerial refueling aircraft, primarily from the Western Theater Command; two J-10C fighter jets and as many J-10S trainer aircraft; one KJ-500 early warning aircraft, and at least one support helicopter transported by a Y-20. Chinese media reported that the J-10C’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, WS-10B turbofan engine, and PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile remained reliable under desert conditions.
Egypt deployed its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets for the exercise, with no publicly available information indicating the participation of any F-16 fighter planes bought from the United States. The U.S. does not provide AIM-120 missiles to Egypt, significantly restricting the air combat capabilities of its F-16 fleet. In terms of aerial performance, then, Egypt’s F-16s are considered weaker than the MiG-29M2s in its inventory, which are equipped with R-77 air-to-air missiles. This limitation has been a key factor in Egypt’s decision to purchase Rafale fighter jets from France in recent years.
No comments:
Post a Comment