Jodhpur: Egypt is exploring the possibility of buying light combat aircraft Tejas and the advanced light helicopter Dhruv from India, ThePrint has learnt.
While talks have been going on since last year, sources informed that a high-level Egyptian delegation visited the facilities of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) this week.
This comes days after Egypt concluded its first International Air Show which saw significant Chinese presence and the first showcase of China’s J-10 fighter jets in Africa. There are rumours that Egypt is going in for the J-10s.
Notably, HAL was also in Egypt for the air show to demonstrate its products.
Sources in the Indian defence establishment told ThePrint that Egypt is looking at procuring about 18 Tejas Mk1A aircraft from India.
Not just Tejas, the Egyptians are also interested in buying the Dhruv helicopters for surveillance, transportation and medical evacuation, sources said.
As reported by ThePrint last year, the sale of Tejas, if and when done, will also see a maintenance, research and overhaul (MRO) facility in Egypt.
The African country currently operates several aircraft, with the French Rafale being its frontline fighter along with ageing F16s.
During his visit last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed a number of issues with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi focussing on trade and investment, defence and security, renewable energy, and people-to-people ties.
Egypt has been keen on strengthening its air force over the past decade. In 2015, it inked a contract for 24 Dassault Rafale F3-R aircraft, with options for a further 12 aircraft. Around the same time, it also ordered 46 MiG-29M/M2 fighters.
While deliveries for the MiGs started in 2017, reports have said maintenance and operation has become a headache for Egypt with spares supply hit due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and subsequent restrictions by America.
Incidentally, in 2018, Egypt had ordered 24 Su-35 fighters from Russia but it never took the delivery after the US threatened to impose sanctions under CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).
It then approached the US for 20 F-35As, which was rejected and Cairo ended up contracting for 30 more Rafale in 2021. Egypt also operates the Mirage 2000s.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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