Egypt requested a wide range of armaments and combat hardware to Russia TASS 42511155

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Defence & Security News - Russia
 
Egypt requested a wide range of armaments and combat hardware to Russia
Russia will prepare answers in coming weeks to Egypt’s requests for buying a wide range of armaments and combat hardware, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said on Wednesday. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Defense and Military Industry Minister Sedki Sobhi Sayyid Ahmed in Cairo.
     
Egypt requested a wide range of armaments and combat hardware to Russia 640 001Egyptian Military Industry Minister Sedki Sobhi Sayyid Ahmed and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu
     
"Both the president and the defense minister of Egypt would like to purchase a wide range of armaments and combat hardware. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has already given the necessary instructions to the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation and has given instructions to all of us on the need to examine all the existing requests," Antonov said.

"The plan is that we must give an answer to all the requests of our Egyptian friends in the coming weeks," he added. The Russian defense minister and his Egyptian counterpart agreed to maintain close contacts and keep the issues of military and technical cooperation "under personal control," Antonov said.

Both the president and the defense minister of Egypt "are unambiguously stating that Russia is a reliable partner and that they are ready for developing strategic partnership with our country and are interested in receiving both operational armaments and combat hardware and promising developments," he added.

The deputy defense minister did not specify the weapons Egypt wanted to buy from Russia. It was earlier reported that Russia might sign a deal with Egypt for the delivery of Kamov Ka-52K (NATO reporting name: Hokum-B) helicopters developed for the Mistral-class amphibious ships and the corresponding equipment. Chief of the Kremlin Staff Sergey Ivanov earlier said the sum of the deal might exceed $1 billion.

Egypt remains one of Russia’s key partners in North Africa. The direct deliveries of Russian-made military hardware to Egypt made up $1.345 billion in 2000-2014. Air defense systems were a major delivery item. Russia fulfilled the contract to upgrade 10-20 Egyptian S-125 Pechora air defense missile systems to the Pechora-2M level in 2005-2006. Another 20 S-125 systems were modernized to the Pechora-2M level in 2010-2011.

Egypt received eight Russian-made Tor-M1/Tor-M2 air defense missile systems and about 200 9M338 surface-to-air missiles in 2005-2011. Russia delivered one Buk-1M antiaircraft missile system and about 100 9M317 surface-to-air missiles in 2007 and one Buk-M2 air defense missile system in 2014.

Egypt received about 600 surface-to-air missiles for Igla/Igla-S man-portable air defense missile systems in 2009-2010 to modernize the Shilka self-propelled antiaircraft system to the Shilka-M4 level. Talks are currently under way to deliver Russian-made S-300VM air defense missile systems and 9M83M surface-to-air missiles to Egypt.

Egypt also acquires Russian-made helicopters. Russia delivered 24 Mil Mi-17V-5 (Hip) helicopters fitted out with armament to Egypt in 2010-2013. A contract for the delivery of 46 Mikoyan MiG-29 (Fulcrum) fighter jets to Egypt is currently being prepared.
     
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