Egypt is likely to follow through with its purchase and acquisition of Russian Su-35 air superiority fighters despite US pressure, Igor Korotchenko, the head of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade, told Sputnik on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2019) Egypt is likely to follow through with its purchase and acquisition of Russian Su-35 air superiority fighters despite US pressure, Igor Korotchenko, the head of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade, told Sputnik on Friday.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper had sent a letter to Egypt's defense minister threatening sanctions if Cairo did not cancel the deal.
"The US is not ready for an honest competition in the global arms market, and once again resorts to the corrupt practice of pressuring a sovereign state that chooses the best weaponry to protect itself. I am sure Egypt will not succumb to it [the pressure], and one of the world's best 4++ generation multirole fighter jets will be brought into service by the country," Korotchenko said.
He noted that military cooperation between Russia and Egypt was thriving and that the supremacy of Russian arms over the competition was regularly confirmed, especially during the recent Arrow of Friendship-2019 air defense drill.
"Today, Cairo is one of the main buyers of Russian weapons. They recently had the Arrow of Friendship-2019 air defense exercise, during which they simulated a drone attack, similar to the recent Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure. Unlike the US Patriot [missile systems], the Russian Buk-M2E and Tor-M2E successfully destroyed their targets, which were imitating enemy unmanned aircraft," Korotchenko added.
This spring, the Russian Kommersant newspaper reported that Russia and Egypt had signed a contract for the delivery of Su-35 fighters to Cairo. According to newspaper's sources, the relevant agreement, which implies the shipment of over 20 aircraft and types of weapons worth some $2 billion, came into force at the end of 2018. The first shipments could be made as early as 2020 or 2021.
