"Buyer's market not a seller market" is Peak Jai Hind energy, nothing personal though.
Also that's another danger for Egypt is to think they have time to negotiate the best deal in the market:
- Only China can offer a system of systems for Egypt's air force, Russia can't build modern System of systems for themselves yet -- maybe after sometime, US won't give it to them, and Europe can't make their own system of systems without US.
- They should aim for multiple agreements rather than on grandiose agreement with China, every agreement for something they should negotiate with the mindset of giving Chinese companies the money and a suitable profit for both parties, not trying to get things in their factory cost --> which leads to longing negotiating and making china's negotiation party to move the deal in cold discussed topics for a long period.
- In islam the prophet says something around "God's mercy on the one who knows his real value", getting all high and mighty while you have existential threats and poor economy compared to your enemies is stupid.
- Egypt have stayed back for a long time and didn't participate in JF-17 project with Pakistan, because they didn't like it's quality, and yes block I & II were not good, but Block III got an AESA radar and can integrate PL-12 & PL-15 which is better than anything Egypt's air force can field -- unfortunately Pakistan have way more initiative than Egypt, Egypt should be in the same level if they want to win.
That's enough to be said for now, but it's not the end...
Negotiations between Egypt and China since
Egypt's first interest in the J-10 fighter jet was in 2010. At that time, China refused to license the SD-10 missile for production, leading to the contract's failure. The J-10B aircraft was then tested, but its capabilities were less than the F-16 Block 52, so it didn't garner much interest. However, the J-10C was superior to the F-16 Block 60 fighters, prompting serious negotiations in 2021. The actual contract was mentioned by the director of the Chinese pavilion at the El Alamein Air Show in September 2024, who stated that Egypt had contracted for an advanced Chinese aircraft, specifically a version designed for Egypt. The rest of the story is as follows: As a result of the expansion of Chinese-Egyptian arms programs, China invested $12 billion in the Suez Canal industrial zone. This isn't just about arms deals; it's about overcoming an American plan to thwart the Belt and Road Initiative, which includes the Suez Canal as a vital corridor. China's investments in Egypt aren't free or based on friendship. Rather, it is the result of joint cooperation programs. American pressure is ineffective due to the simple nature of American and Israeli plans. The true size of the deals, the announcement of timings, or the presence of weapons are matters managed between the seller and the buyer. There is a massive, undeclared industrial and arms cooperation program between China and Egypt, encompassing a wide range of manufacturing based on the economic feasibility of the arms production sector. The Egyptians study all weapons and the outcomes of wars to develop their military acquisition programs. China did not send J-10C fighters to the El Alamein Air Show arbitrarily. The head of the Chinese pavilion at the exhibition announced a deal finalized on August 19, 2024. China also does not conduct air maneuvers in Egypt simply to encourage Egyptian cooperation, but rather as part of a training and testing program for the equipment. An intensive training program was implemented on the J-10C fighters to accelerate pilots' access to better operational capabilities, similar to the acquisition of the Rafale. This involved bringing the contracted fighters to Egypt for pre-delivery training in the country of origin and also within Egypt to provide a larger number of pilots trained on them. Simply put, China's fighters From April 15th to July 2025, the aircraft remained on Egyptian soil. It stayed for over a month after the official conclusion of the maneuvers in Egypt in early May 2025, undergoing intensive training. These training programs are more extensive than mere first-time training exercises.
The JF-17 aircraft did not meet Egyptian requirements at all. Simply put, Israel possesses the F-15I, F-16I, and F-35I, and these failed to demonstrate proficiency in basic air combat skills, not only in Egypt but also in Argentina. Consequently, the Egyptians are seeking fighters capable of countering Israeli aircraft. Some of the deals being finalized are necessary to address military threats, while others are for future armament plans. Egypt is looking for weapons that have proven effective in warfare, and most of the weapons Egypt has selected have a proven track record of success. China had offered these weapons to Egypt, which led Egypt to contract with the Americans. The acceleration of arms deals between Egypt and China began in October 2023, aiming to thwart all Gulf and Israeli plans to displace Egyptians. The Palestinians and the Israeli-Indian corridor are being deterred by military deterrence. Israel will not be deterred unless it finds a state capable of confronting it. Egypt's announcement regarding the presence of Chinese weapons has specific timing dictated by Egypt. For example, the announcement of the HQ-9BE deal in Egypt is because these are defensive systems that cannot be challenged. Even if there were an objection, Egypt would have already received them. Therefore, American pressure is worthless. Consequently, the situation is now much clearer.
