Israeldefense, the Israeli military magazine published by the Israeli military, warned of the growing strength of the Egyptian army and the unprecedented modernization of its air and naval forces with advanced fighter jets.
In a report titled "Egypt Grows Stronger: Test Flights of New Rafale Jets En route to the Egyptian Air Force," the Israeli military magazine said that the new French fighter jets Egypt will receive will shift the balance of air power in the region.
The French company Dassault Aviation recently conducted test flights of two new Rafale fighter jets for the Egyptian Air Force. These flights are part of an ongoing procurement contract under which Egypt will continue to acquire these advanced fighter jets.
In the same context, the Israeli news website "Nazif Net" reported that thanks to France, Egypt will finally obtain weapons it had been deprived of for years due to Israeli pressure.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, recently signed a joint declaration elevating relations between Egypt and France to a "strategic partnership" encompassing various fields and sectors.
The Hebrew website, specializing in security and Egyptian affairs, stated that this joint declaration between Cairo and Paris confirms the depth of bilateral relations between the two countries, as France is one of Egypt's closest European partners in coordinating positions on regional issues, especially the Palestinian issue, the situation in Libya and Sudan, and Red Sea security. The declaration also reflects the expansion of strategic cooperation between the two sides, particularly in the military, industrial, and technology transfer fields.
The Hebrew report indicated that Paris had supplied Egypt with some of its most advanced defense systems, including 54 Rafale fighter jets delivered in two phases between 2015 and 2021, along with two Mistral-class attack helicopter carriers, a FREMM Aktin-class frigate, four Gowind corvettes, and an advanced Tiba-1 military and civilian aircraft equipped with satellite communications, Egyptian air warfare early warning systems, and radars.
The cooperation also included, according to the Israeli report, the supply of advanced munitions that had been banned for decades (due to Israeli pressure), such as Storm Shadow cruise missiles with a range of 300 kilometers, over-the-horizon air-to-air missiles, AASM Hammer smart bombs, Exocet anti-ship missiles, and advanced NG MICA and MICA, MICA, MICA naval systems.
The Hebrew website continued, saying, "So far, there is no indication that the Egyptian army has received Meteor air-to-air missiles with a range of more than 250 kilometers from France, despite repeated Egyptian requests to enable them, they say, to effectively counter Israeli Air Force aircraft. However, the French desire to sell advanced submarines to Egypt could also harm Israel's security in the long term."
Egypt received the first Rafale fighter jets from the second batch of the 30-aircraft deal signed in 2021. Upon completion of delivery in 2026, the Egyptian Air Force will have 54 Rafale fighters, making it the second-largest operator globally after France. The fighters are equipped with the latest weapons and electronic warfare systems, along with long-range attack capabilities, strengthening Egypt's regional position in the air force.