Pakistan had announced purchasing Chinese J-35 stealth fighter jets last year. According to Pakistani media reports, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had ordered 40 J-35 stealth fighter jets from China. After Operation Sindoor, reports suggested that China may hand over a few units of J-35 to Pakistan in the next 2-3 months.
Egypt signals interest in Chinese Stealth jets
Now, another Muslim nation after Pakistan has shown interest in the Chinese stealth fighter jets. A senior rank officer of Egypt has reportedly expressed interest in Chinese jets. If Egypt proceeds with the purchase, it would mark a significant strategic change in its defence procurement policy.
Top Egyptian General Shows Interest in J-35
According to reports from Morocco-based outlet Defence Arabik, Lieutenant General Mahmoud Fuad Abdel Gawad expressed interest in Chinese J-35 during the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” maneuvers, which is a bilateral exercise with China held at Wadi Abu Rish Air Base.
Though there was no official confirmation of any defence procurement, it highlights that the two nations are inching closer and if a deal happens, it would be a shift in geopolitical alignment.
Egypt and China Conduct First-Ever Joint Air Drills
During the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” exercise, the Egyptian Air Force and Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force held first-ever joint air drills. The “Eagles of Civilization 2025” exercise was held at an airbase southeast of Cairo. China’s J-10C multirole fighters, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, Y-20 transport planes, and YU-20 aerial tankers participated in the exercise.
China’s J-35, Also Known as FC-31 Gyrfalcon
Notably, the J-35 fighter jet is commonly known as FC-31 or Gyrfalcon in China. The fifth-generation stealth fighter jet was developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. It is a stealth-capable, multi-role aircraft equipped with advanced avionics and designed for a variety of combat missions. The fighter jet is capable of evading enemy radar detection and can engage both aerial targets and ground-based threats.
