Egypt strikes $2 mln arms deal with Russia amid efforts to withstand US pressure - military expert
17 February 2014, 19:41
As reports that Russia and Egypt are working on a large arms deal have been confirmed to the press, retired Egyptian General Hussam Sweilem, who is also a well-informed military expert, revealed to the Voice of Russia some of the aspects of the upcoming cooperation between the two countries.
Earlier, the Russian press announced that during last week's visit to Moscow of Egypt's Foreign and Defense Ministers, several arms contracts worth $3 billion were worked upon. On the other side, the Cairo media reported on the desire of the Egyptian military to acquire missile defense systems, combat helicopters, fighter planes and anti-tank complexes from Russia. According to the media, Saudi Arabia and the UAE agreed to finance the deal.
'So far there is no agreement on that deal, some work on it still needs to be done,' a Russian source close to the area of military and technical cooperation informed, adding that 'shipping and payment will be done in two tranches, with the first one to be realized by the middle of this year'.
Mr Sweilem, could you comment on the latest announcements?
This is the first visit to Moscow of the two key Egyptian ministers over a 40-year period. It can be called a reciprocal visit after the November 2013 visit to Cairo of Russia's Defense and Foreign Ministers.
As far as our Defense Minister is concerned, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wanted to manage to make this visit specifically in the status of the head of the armed forces. Little time is left for the preparation for the presidential elections and he will have to take off his military uniform in a month's time. He needs to close the arms deals still acting as the Defense Minister.
I can say that last week, just before the visit to Moscow of our ministers, the chief of staff of the Army went to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. There he discussed the financial aspects of this deal, which is to be paid in tranches. The arms will start being supplied in mid-2014. The size of the deal is $2 billion. It will be financed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – it will be those two countries' gift to the Egyptian people. Al-Sisi came to agreement in Moscow on some other future deals as well.
I can say that that visit in some ways is a response to the USA, which continues to support the Muslim Brotherhood ousted by the Egyptian people. It is also a response to America's freezing of the military cooperation with Egypt. We have not received 120 Abrams tanks, 21 F-16 fighter planes and 12 Apache helicopters. We are now trying to withstand the American pressure and support Egypt's sovereignty. That does not mean that we want to completely stop relations with America. Cairo is simply creating a new balance in its relations with the two world superpowers – America and Russia. By the way, we intend to cooperate with China as well.
As far as I know, within the current arms deal Russia is to supply 24 MiG-29 fighter planes, the second-generation anti-tank Kornet missiles and Tor-M1 surface-to-air missile system. We asked for S300 systems, but I don't think Russia will sell them to us now. The deal also includes the supply of Mi-8 and Mi-17 combat helicopters.
The agreement is aimed at a qualitative upgrade of the Egyptian Army's equipment. At present, about 40% of our military equipment is the old modifications of the Russian systems and machines, such as MiG-21 for example. In the future we are aiming to get the right to produce and assemble weapons in our country as well as start producing parts for the American weapons. Thus, we will go to a real diversification of our sources of arms supply. This is as far as the military cooperation goes.
And what about the economic cooperation?
Right now we are talking about the upgrade of the enterprises built by the Russians earlier, of the military and industrial complex plants, as well as of the metallurgical plants and the Aswan Dam.
We hope that in the near future we will start to develop our cooperation in the area of nuclear energy as well. We will also fulfill the agreements signed prior to January 25, 2011. For example, we will build a Russian technology park near Alexandria to produce automobiles and electronics.
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