{"id":51517,"date":"2021-05-25T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-25T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/25\/egypts-transition-away-from-american-weapons-is-a-national-security-issue\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:38:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:38:58","slug":"egypts-transition-away-from-american-weapons-is-a-national-security-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2021\/05\/25\/egypts-transition-away-from-american-weapons-is-a-national-security-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt\u2019s transition away from American weapons is a national security issue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Egypt announced an agreement<\/a> this month with France to purchase 30 French-made F3-R Rafale fighter jets in a deal reportedly worth $5 billion. The agreement is part of a larger trend<\/a> in which Egypt is purchasing fewer weapons from the United States and more from Russia and France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be sure, from an American perspective, Russia is an adversary while France is a NATO ally (and economic competitor). However, if those two countries continue to displace the United States in the Egyptian arms market, Washington\u2019s influence in Cairo could wane. That would undercut core U.S. national security interests. At the center of this challenge is Washington\u2019s longstanding efforts to balance security interests with human rights concerns when it comes to arms sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sale, announced on May 4, brings the total Egyptian Rafale fleet to 54 aircraft, building upon a 2015 sale in which Egypt became the first foreign customer for the Rafale. The Rafale is a fourth-generation multirole fighter manufactured<\/a> by Dassault Aviation, and has been ordered by the French, Egyptian, Qatari, Indian and Greek militaries. In addition to advanced sensors, targeting systems and weapons, the F3-R model gives Egypt access to capabilities the United States has refused<\/a> to sell Cairo in the past, such as long-range air-to-air missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Egypt\u2019s purchase of French-made fighters alone does not necessarily constitute a major development or concern, but the deal\u2019s significance grows when understood as part of Cairo\u2019s larger shift away from American arms. In fact, the last major U.S. aircraft sale<\/a> to Egypt came in 2010 with the transfer of 20 F-16Cs.<\/p>\n\n\n\t