CAIRO -
In a third deal in the field of air armament within 5 months, Washington intends to supply Cairo with "Chinook-47" (CH-47F) helicopters, which was announced after the possible deal of F-15 fighters, which It faced Israeli obstruction for decades.
What are the reasons for the recent American shifts towards Egypt, and why does Cairo seek to support its air force with long-range fighters and helicopters?
Last Thursday, the US State Department announced its approval of proposed foreign military sales to Egypt, including up to 23 Chinook-47 helicopters and related equipment, at an estimated cost of $2.6 billion.
The Pentagon stated that "the proposed sale will support foreign policy and national security, by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally (NATO) that remains an important strategic partner in the Middle East," according to the department.
She added that the proposed sale will "improve Egypt's capabilities to enhance its defense of the homeland and deter regional threats," noting at the same time that it "will not change the basic military balance in the region," in a reference that may seem to Israel's qualitative advantage.
There are Egyptian considerations that prompted Cairo to support its air fleet, represented - according to the statements of observers to Al Jazeera Net - that the recent deals come in the context of enhancing combat capabilities to confront potential regional threats, as this system (of fighters and helicopters) is suitable for launching long-range attacks.
With regard to American considerations, the visions seem to differ, between being to please Egypt as an ally and a major buyer of arms, and another opinion based on the Pentagon’s statement that military deals are based on national security interests, and not to change the balance equations in the region to the detriment of Israel.
Third in 2022
Since the beginning of this year, Washington has announced 3 potential deals with Cairo to support the Egyptian Air Force, through the following stations:
On the tenth of last March, a possible sale of 12 C-130 (Super Hercules), which is an advanced generation of military cargo aircraft, worth $2.2 billion.
This deal was suspended last January, after the White House announced a cut of part of the military aid to Egypt;
Because of criticism of human rights.
In mid-March, the commander of the Central Command, Frank McKenzie, announced that his country intends to sell F-15 fighters to Egypt, without details about the deal, which has faced Israeli obstruction for decades.
Last Thursday, Washington announced a potential deal for Chinook-47s.
According to official procedures, such deals require approval from the State Department and Congress.
On February 9, McKenzie promised, during a visit to Egypt, "very strong" military assistance.
combat abilities
The expert in national security and international relations, Major General Mohamed Abdel Wahed, considered the Chinook-47 deal an indication that the strategic partnership between his country and America had advanced to a better stage than it was before.
He reinforced his opinion by saying that the US deals were all high-tech, and they are only granted to NATO countries or countries that have a strong strategic partnership with Washington.
The F-47 Chinook helicopters have multiple combat missions - according to the Egyptian security expert - as:
The newest model in the Chinook system manufactured by Boeing since 1962.
It has high maneuverability and can fly in difficult climatic conditions, and is the fastest helicopter in the world.
Capable of transporting about 40 to 50 fighters with all their military equipment.
It has advanced navigation, electronic, monitoring and meteorological systems.
Regarding what the helicopter will add to the Egyptian weaponry, Abdel Wahed focused on the following points:
Egypt has Chinook helicopters, but the Type 47 is the latest it will get.
It will provide a breakthrough in the field of transporting the Egyptian airborne forces, especially the special forces.
It can achieve rapid support for any forces on the front and in the places of combat quickly and with high maneuverability.
Its operational range is about 600 km, and it can load 11 tons, which is a large number for helicopters to charge personnel and heavy equipment as howitzer guns (a long-range, lightweight weapon).
The inclusion of such a helicopter in the Air Force enhances the capabilities of anti-terror operations, and the enemies of Egypt in the region.
The current challenges require a strong army equipped with the most advanced equipment and technology in the world.
It was necessary for Egypt to have a long arm that reaches anywhere in the world that threatens its national security.
Anticipating the escalation of threats
In turn, the academic and political analyst, Muhammad Al-Zawawi, referred to planning and strategic assessments in Egypt, which are working to anticipate the escalation of threats in the region, including the establishment of the Berenice military base on the Red Sea, and the acquisition of advanced fighters that were an urgent requirement for the Egyptian army, contrary to American estimates.
In this regard, Al-Zawawi explained that the most prominent of these estimates are:
Despite Egypt’s efforts in recent years to diversify its sources of weapons, especially fighters, by resorting to France to import the Rafale, as well as Russia to import the MiG and Sukhoi, the backbone of the Air Force remains the American “F-16” fighters, which Cairo is in talks to develop and modernize. .
Washington's approval of the "F-15" deal may come as compensation for not giving it "F-35" planes;
Which is very close to its capabilities.
Washington's goal is to please Egypt and keep it in the Western alliance as an ally and a major buyer of arms.
After Egypt owns X-Hercules transport and air reconnaissance aircraft, and Chinook helicopters for heavy transport, the qualitative development is the F-15 fighters.
This system of fighters, transport and reconnaissance helicopters, is suitable for launching long-range attacks on targets such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
The X-Hercules aircraft have a high jamming, reconnaissance and air support capability in long-range operations, as well as capable of carrying heavy-weight missiles.
Chinook helicopters, capable of carrying heavy equipment such as tanks and armored vehicles.
Perhaps this armament gives a signal to Ethiopia to be serious about negotiating and preserving Egypt’s water interests, especially with the recent Ethiopian-Russian rapprochement.
Where Moscow worked to support the Ethiopian position in the Security Council against Egypt.
The implications of the American position
On the implications of the recent American transformation with Egypt in light of the apathy in other aspects of bilateral relations, the Egyptian journalist specializing in international relations and politics, Abdel Rahman Youssef, indicated that any considerations for supplying American weapons to Egypt or any other country are always based on two issues;
National security interests, and not to change the region's balance equations against Israel.
Youssef, who is a resident of Washington, explained that the military relations between Cairo and Washington - especially those related to arms sales - are not always closely related to human rights issues, perhaps this was different in some sanctions or bans in special circumstances.
He cited what happened after the summer of 2013, when Egypt faced a crisis with the continuation of arms imports or military aid;
After the army overthrew the late President Mohamed Morsi, and Western circles considered the matter an unofficial “military coup.”
According to Youssef, the issue of arms sales is going smoothly most of the time, according to American interests, and it benefits the arms factories and makes armament lobbies happy, and Egypt will pay for it now or later.
With regard to the "Chinook-47" deal, the journalist ruled out that it was concluded in the context of encouraging Egypt to reconsider its arms deals with Russia or China, explaining that it does not fall within the framework of this equation, and this may apply to the F-15 fighter deal.
He attributed this to the fact that the Chinook was not a banned deal for Egypt, but rather regular weapons that come in a natural context in which Egypt is moving intensively, which placed it in third place globally among the largest importers of arms in the world after Saudi Arabia and India in the period from (2016 - 2020), according to the Stockholm International Research Institute.
complexities and challenges
From a Western perspective, a recent study issued by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (based in Washington) warned of counterproductive results if pressures were exerted to restrict Cairo's armament programs due to human rights violations.
The US military expert, David Witty, said in the study titled "The US-Egyptian Military Relationship: Complexities, Contradictions and Challenges" that US pressure may push Cairo to resort to other countries in arms deals, as happened in recent years.
Witty recommended that his country consider the military aid provided to Cairo as operating expenses, and this is its true nature, rather than considering it as a gift to Egypt.
He also called for the need for flexibility in providing advanced technological equipment to it, noting that this would not affect the regional balance of power as radically as it was in the past.