Lockheed Martin chief test pilot Alan Norman discusses the Pentagon’s purchase of 478 F-35 fighter jets and the ability of the airframe to adapt to new demands, remaining relevant “for decades to come.”
CAIRO (AP) — A senior U.S. official warned Egypt on Monday that if it purchases Russian fighter jets it risks American sanctions.
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R. Clarke Cooper, the State Department’s assistant secretary in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, made the comment to journalists on the sidelines of the biennial Dubai Airshow.
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Cooper said the planned purchase of Russian jets puts Egypt “at risk of sanctions and it puts them at risk of loss of future acquisition.”
Egypt has concluded a deal to buy Russian Su-35s jets, according to military officials in Cairo, which it says are to help combat a yearslong Islamist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula.\
FILE – In this Aug. 27, 2019 file photo, Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-35s fighter jet is on display during the MAKS-2019 International Aviation and Space Show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Russia. A senior U.S. official is warning Egypt that if it pur
The Egyptian military, which is the largest in the Arab world, went to Russia after the U.S. did not answer requests over a year ago to acquire roughly two dozen F-35 fighter jets, according to one Egyptian military official. The Russian deal was meant to diversify Egypt’s weapon suppliers, because in past years U.S. military assistance was stopped due to concerns over human rights violations, said another official.
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Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.
Egypt, one of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid outside of NATO, has been turning toward Russia in recent years for military backing. In 2017, Egypt agreed to allow Russian military planes use of its airbases. This month, the two counties’ air forces conducted joint exercises.
