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Egypt expresses interest in defence collaboration with Pakistan
On his official visit to Egypt, Pakistan’s Minister of Defence Production (MoDP) Rana Tanveer Hussain met with Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and was informed that Cairo was interested in collaborating with Pakistan in defence production initiatives (Associated Press of Pakistan).
The state-owned news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) notes that the meeting called “for collaboration in joint production of certain defence equipment … to [establish] expert level delegations to work out modalities for further cooperation.”
APP added that Egypt is also interested in the JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighter, which is co-produced by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).
Notes & Comments:
Egypt had expressed apparent interest in the JF-17 in earlier years, but efforts to secure in that direction did not pan out. It is unclear if Cairo’s apparent interest at this stage is concrete enough for a sale, but it is likely that PAC and CAIG will pursue the opportunity considering its potential in generating value and attention towards the fighter platform. Egypt could be contemplating the JF-17 on the grounds of securing a low-cost and openly configurable platform, one that it can support domestically (via various transfer-of-technology elements) and freely arm in terms of modern air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions.
12 Comments
by MT
Pakistan is wasting time and efforts in chasing the buyers for JF17. How many country will offer to buy Su30MKI from India although India have more control over Su30 components as it uses french,israeli subsystem & manufactures AL31 engine in India
Pakistan doesnt manufacture any significant parts of JF17. Assembly of airframes and integration of imported subsystem dont make it potential customer given it cant even overhaul/fit the russian engine
by Bilal Khan
PAC markets the JF-17 in collaboration with AVIC. In turn, 50% of the proceeds and workshare for third-party orders are kept with AVIC. It’s somewhat comparable to the way things work with the Typhoon. You’ll have different vendors, e.g. Leonardo, BAE, and Airbus, pursue and finalize sales, but the approval and production process requires all partners. It’s not as layered or complex in the case of the JF-17 (China and Pakistan), but it’d be grossly erroneous to assume – especially when the co-marketing is done openly – that Pakistan is selling the JF-17 without guaranteeing critical components. PAC wouldn’t market to X without AVIC.
by Andrei Romanov
They should Buy JF-17
It will be good option to replace their Migs and Mirages.
by Alex Retiman
Egypt is not a trustworthy country; significant weapons like JF-17 should not be sold to Egypt. Only small arms should be sold.
by Bilal Khan
Pakistan is a partner in the JF-17 program. You can get pedantic about what it contributed technically or the nature of its industry workshare, but at the end of the day, it is a partner which had funded 50% of the program.
Consortiums have sold fighters in the past, so the notion of a Sino-Pak duo in AVIC and PAC doing the same with the JF-17 isn’t unprecedented or unfamiliar to anyone. PAC taking the lead with some countries is akin to Leonardo taking the lead with the Typhoon sale to Kuwait, or BAE with Saudi Arabia, even though – ultimately – the Eurofighter Consortium had to approve of each sale and source the components collectively as per the workshare agreement.
Why would you ignore the reality as it is and then assume Pakistan is pursuing sales without AVIC’s backing? A sale to Egypt would be a major boon for AVIC.
by Alex Retiman
Just ask the Saudis who financed their 2-billion dollar Mistral ships only to be betrayed by them. Also proximity of Israel is a huge risk. Mosad can easily gain intelligence on these jets.
by Smoking a Tejas
It’s not just a question of supplier but his nature in the consortium which is unique in this case. Countries like Egypt maybe interested in the thunder also because the primary end user and main partner is an established and respected air force and not just any third party.
In contrast, Tejas’s most insurmountable challenge is the lack of endorsement and confidence of its main users; the IAF and IN, the MInistry’s and manufacturers enthusiasm notwithstanding,
by MT
1. Statistically speaking, all aircraft producers have buyers in the market.
2. Pakistan PAF buying 200 Thunder is more to do with budget constraints, F16 partial sanction, low investment in r&D & european costly aircrafts and less to do with true capability of airctaft.
But given the price, its surely a decent aircraft.
3. Pakistan investment in JF17 is surely winner from procurement for PAF and appears to be major step in development of pak aeronautical industries but you cant compare Pak JF17 experience with HAL Tejas as the latter is entire platform combined with many bill$ of R&D,100’s labs where there is work going on most of technologies irrespective of DRDO capability to produce latest 4th gen technology.
4. For India; Developing 4th gen technology, R&D for future platform and procurement for IAF to meet defence needs weigh in our national policy . IAF is end user & their criteria for FOC is nose tight. Under current spec,Thunders are not matured enough to be accepted by IAF so logic for pak to accept kamra is driven more by ownership & less by capability.
But IAF is seeing tejas from prism of western standards.So they wont take any one until it can show comparable flight combat wrt AOA, ITR,STR and fire BVRAAM with HMDS & cue AAM in HOBS Mode with decent radar range in look down mode!
IAF case helps India absorb western tech with decent offset policy and indigenize the technology at ok pace
Two eg
1. Safran snecma will do 20-25% consutancy work to up scale Kaveri into 90+KN engine with 1 bill euro offset coming from Rafale procurement.
Some more tech on stealth coating,paint will be licensed to DRDO labs as offsets
2. F16 V deal will probably come with Lockheed martin india manufacturing Aesa radar in india with GE India getting full license to manufacture GE414 engine from indian materials
by MT
Well the orders will also help karma get more technological work & license knowhow to manufacture many susbsystem from china.
So its win win for both pak and china. This approach to invest in FJ17 platform is best suited for pakistan.
by Alex Retiman
With all due respects I consider Egypt and its people technically very backward. This is a country incapable of manufacturing its own Aircrafts and missiles, and even quality small arms. Last time I checked there were only 7 nuclear powers in the world and Pakistan was one of them. This reflects technical superiority. So before you start talking about “technology” have a look at your country Egypt which is a backward mess.
by Andrei Romanov
What happened with Saudis was right for them. They helped destroying Syria the old Egyptian ally. Egypt can face a chaos in their country any time because USA is right behind them in LIBYA and Israel is in front So they allied with us(Russia) because only we can defend them not those Saudis who enjoys watching middle eastern countries getting destroyed.
by Andrei Romanov
The block getting stronger and stronger
China guarantee support to Iran in case of standoff between Iran and USA
https://sputniknews.com/world/201612091048372275-china-iran-sanctions/