The absolute dominance of the Israeli Air Force in the Middle East is undisputed
thanks to its super-efficient training and intelligence activities of the Mossad and other agencies
A nation that has always challenged Israel's air dominance, Egypt
Egypt is going in the opposite direction in its arms procurement policy
buying more weapons from countries like Russia and France instead of the US as before
and the latest, is the addition of the Rafale fighters
Egypt's latest deal, buying 30 more Rafale fighters from France, estimated at about $5 billion
This acquisition has increased the number of Rafale in the Egyptian Air Force to 54 aircraft (including 24 purchased in 2015)
The Rafale is a 4++ generation fighter that offers long-range air combat capabilities, which have been limited to American weapons
Another important addition to Egypt's air power was the purchase of 50 MiG-29Ms from Russia in 2015
Russia also supplied Egypt with 30 Su-35 air superiority fighters in 2018
The last major arms deal between the US and Egypt was in 2010, for 20 F-16C fighters, but without long-range weapons
In 2013, after a military coup, arms sales between the US and Egypt ceased
Egypt turned to other countries to strengthen its armed forces
Such developments worry US policymakers
For decades, the US has tried to maintain the strength of the Israeli Army by providing its neighbors with less modern weapons
The rapid growth of Egypt's arsenal is also raising concerns in Israel
Israel experts fear Egypt is hungry to restore its former glory as a dominant regional power
Egypt is gradually developing its air force at a rapid pace
It is said to be contemplating increasing the number of Rafales to 100; with the addition of more advanced Rafale F4 versions.
This would make Egypt's Rafale fleet second only to the French Air Force
According to experts, the features of the F4 version will challenge Israel's air superiority in the region
Moreover, the combination of Egyptian fighters, including those of Russia, the United States and France
is another nightmare for the Israeli Air Force, in terms of the unpredictability of weapons systems
In terms of air power, Egypt ranks 10th in the world, with about 590 fighters
F-16s are still the mainstay of the Egyptian air force, with a number of 240
Other types include 65 French Mirages, 40 MiG-21s, 30 Chinese J-7s; 24 Su-35s and 46 MiG-29M multirole fighters
Israel is ranked 19th
Currently, the Israeli Air Force has about 255 fighters, all of which are of better quality than Egypt's as well as the entire Middle East region
As an important US ally, Israel uses only US-made aircraft, including 225 F-16s, 83 F-15s and 27 F-35s
Israel plans to buy 23 more F-35s by 2024, bringing the total to 50
Although fewer in number than Egypt, Israeli fighters are more modern and powerful, and are flown by pilots with far superior qualifications and experience
Israel is also a leader in the development of UAVs and precision-guided weapons
Unlike Egypt's F-16s, Israel's F-16s have air-to-air guided missiles as modern as those of the US Air Force
More importantly, the Israeli F-35Is are considered the most advanced in the world, giving the IDF a huge advantage
able to quickly defeat the Egyptian air invasion, thanks to their stealth and its weapon quality
In a simulated air battle, experts estimate that Israeli warplanes will quickly prevail over the Egyptian air forces
Although mainly using F-16, but Egypt's F-16 is much weaker than Israel's, because its weapon has a range of less than 35 km
Furthermore, electronic warfare capabilities give the Israeli F-16 a much higher survivability
But will this change when Egypt acquires advanced Rafale and Sukhoi fighters, bringing many advantages to the Egyptian Air Force?
Although it will take time for Egypt to have such a large number of planes