Does this worry Israel? Chinese fighter jets train in air combat with Egypt
Chinese fighter jets conducted interception training against the Egyptian Air Force's French Rafale jets as part of a joint exercise held for the second year. For Beijing, this is a rare opportunity to test its capabilities against a Western platform. In Cairo, the move signals further rapprochement with the United States' great rival.
Chinese J-16 fighter jets conducted air combat training on Sunday against Rafale jets of the Egyptian Air Force, according to the Chinese Air Force, which also released documentation of the training.
The battles were held as part of the joint exercise "Eagles of Civilization," which is taking place on Egyptian soil for the second year, and marks further rapprochement between the Egyptian army, which relies mostly on American weapons, and China - the great rival of the USA.
According to the Chinese Air Force, this is the first time a Chinese fighter jet has faced the French Rafale in air combat. Bloomberg noted that this is a rare opportunity for the Chinese to test their aircraft against a Western platform. The flight phase of the exercise began yesterday, focusing on one-on-one air combat. The J-16 is a 4.5-generation, twin-engine, two-seat, multi-role fighter jet.
The Chinese force landed at an airbase in Egypt on Friday morning. The aircraft made their way from China, covering more than 6,000 kilometers in about nine hours of continuous flight with mid-air refueling. Along with the fighter jets, refueling, support, and control aircraft, as well as helicopters, arrived. In the documentation released by the Chinese Air Force, a YY-20A refueling aircraft is seen refueling two J-16 jets.
In the same documentation, one of the Chinese pilots stated:
"The rigorous training style of the Egyptian pilots, the tight coordination, and their high level of skill made a strong impression on us. In the joint training, we learned from each other and also improved our skill level together."
Egypt seeks new ties
Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman, Colonel Ahmed Othman Ali, announced the start of the exercise on Saturday and stated that it is being held over several days at several airbases in Egypt. "The first stages include theoretical and practical lectures to coordinate the combat concepts of both sides, alongside joint air sorties and practicing the planning and management of a combined air battle," the statement said.
A Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesman stated that the training will focus on topics such as air combat tactics, air superiority operations, and combat search and rescue. According to him, the exercise is intended to deepen cooperation between the Chinese and Egyptian armies and contribute to "regional peace and stability."
Egypt is a strategic partner of the USA, but for years it has been working to diversify its sources of military procurement. Alongside American F-16 jets, Cairo has purchased Rafale jets from France and MiG-29 jets from Russia. Its relations with China have lasted for about seven decades and have tightened in recent years.
