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Text/Zhan Hai

According to a report by the U.S. Defense Blog website on July 23, Egyptian Air Force Commander Gawad recently visited China and met with Chinese Air Force Commander Chang Dingqiu and several Chinese military industrial company leaders. The two sides discussed China's sale of advancedfighterThe possibility of the US media saying that Egypt hopes to purchase China's J-10C fighter jets and J-31 fighter jets to enhance the modernization level of the Egyptian Air Force.

The report said,Egypt may become the first overseas user of the J-31 fighter jet before Pakistan.The main reason why Egypt is so anxious is that the situation in the Middle East is tense now, and it wants to use the J-31 fighter jets to counter the F-35 fighter jets equipped by Israel.

Egypt has a history of purchasing Chinese military equipment. Previously, Egypt purchased China's J-6 fighter jets and H-6 bombers. After entering the 21st century, Egypt also purchased the entire K-8 trainer production line and equipped the K-8E trainer. However, the third-generation and fourth-generation aircraft of the Egyptian Air Force are still mainly European and American equipment.

After Egypt and Israel reconciled in the 1980s, the United States provided aid to Egypt. With this advantage, Egypt purchased a large number of American weapons, including F-16 fighter jets and M1A1 main battle tanks. However, as the 21st century began, Egypt's F-16 fighter jets were aging. For this reason, Egypt purchased French Rafale fighter jets many times, and hoped that the United States would upgrade the F-16 fighter jets. However, in the current international situation, the United States was worried that Egypt would threaten Israel, so it rejected Egypt's proposal. Although Egypt has the "fourth largestF-16fleet", but the vast majority of its F-16s are more than 30 years old.

Especially the recent situation in the Middle East has forced Egypt to make multiple preparations in advance. The conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip has involved multiple forces. Israeli tanks have already reached the Egyptian-Israeli border, and Egypt is likely to be involved in the conflict. However, the F-16, MiG-29, Mirage-5, Mirage 2000 and even Rafale fighters equipped by its air force cannot compete with the advanced Israeli fighters. Although both Egypt and Israel are equipped with F-16 fighters, Egypt's old F-16s cannot be compared with the F-16I, whose performance has surpassed the US version for domestic use, not to mention that the Israeli army also has fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-35I. Egypt urgently needs to quickly improve its air force strength.

Therefore, it is only natural for Egypt to find its old friend China for help. The J-10C fighter is equipped with an AESA active phased array fire control radar and a WS-10B engine. Its performance is not inferior to the F-16I equipped by the Israeli army. The J-10C can also be equipped with PL-15 air-to-air missiles, which outperform the same type of American AIM-120D medium-range air-to-air missiles, and can also take the lead when facing the F-16I.US media speculated that Egypt may purchase more than 10 J-10Cs in the first batch。

Not to mention that the J-31 fighter, as China's main fifth-generation fighter for export, has undergone several major upgrades and has strong combat capabilities. Some American analysts believe that the J-31 fighter has performance comparable to the F-35A fighter and is equipped with more weapons than the F-35A. This means that if the J-31 and the F-35A engage in an air battle, the J-31 is more likely to win.If Egypt is equipped with J-31 fighter jets, it will become a "stabilizing force" among Arab countries in the Middle East, preventing Israel from acting rashly.

After Egypt acquires the J-31 fighter jet, it will not only further consolidate its position in the Middle East, but also become a "barometer of military power" in the Middle East. Currently, the "tycoon countries" in the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, are not equipped with fifth-generation aircraft. The United States is worried that these countries will be equipped with F-35 fighter jets, which will pose a threat to Israel and refuse to sell them fifth-generation aircraft. If Egypt is the first to equip the J-31, it may lead other Middle Eastern countries to follow suit and purchase, further opening up the J-31 export market.From this perspective, Egypt's purchase of the J-31 fighter jets is a "win-win" situation for both China and Egypt, and it may also change the situation in the Middle East.