How and why Egypt buys military aircraft from Russia

On March 18, 2019 Egypt and Russia had reached an agreement that provided for the supply of 24 Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets. Well, five of the 24 planes would be ready to go to Egypt.

Despite the legitimate and understandable critical reaction on the part of Washington towards the consolidation of this military partnership between Egypt and Russia, Cairo intends to implement all the strategic choices necessary both to diversify its military supply – in the same way as the Turkish rival – both to counter precisely the Turkish power projection.

Regardless of the technical aspects of the Su-35s – see the English article in the National Interest periodical -, the significant fact, from a geopolitical point of view, is the fact that Egypt is the second buyer after China of Russian fighter jets. . While this allows Cairo – as already mentioned – to safeguard the diversification of military supplies – just as Turkey does towards the United States, China and Russia -, on the other hand it allows Egypt to maintain a fruitful collaboration relationship with both American and European partners and with Asian ones.

It is no coincidence that the partnership with Russia was also put in place in the recent exercise on the Black Sea, the first edition of which dates back to 2015. But even more significant is the fact that the exercise – which took place from 17 to 24 November in Novorossiysk , one of the main Russian military infrastructures on the Black Sea – had as its main purpose to limit Turkish hegemonic ambitions on the Libyan chessboard, ambitions that have found a way to materialize also in the recent memorandum of understanding between Turkey and the Government of national agreement Libyan.

It is difficult to deny that one of the emerging powers at the level of regional hegemony – alongside Turkey – is certainly Egypt, as also demonstrated by the agreements signed with Cyprus, Greece and France precisely to safeguard their legitimate energy interests in the eastern Mediterranean. facing Turkish ambitions – equally legitimate from a realistic perspective – aimed at achieving energy self-sufficiency.

Precisely for these reasons it is difficult to believe that the recent resolution of the European Parliament concerning the violation of human rights in Egypt could worry – or even hinder – the geopolitical ambitions of Egypt, taking into account the fact that European countries (Italy, France and Germany in the lead) are among the largest customers in the arms sector in Cairo. Once again, therefore, Pecunia non olet .