The Egyptian Air Force today is one of the most powerful in Africa
with the largest squadron of fighter jets on the continent and of all kinds originating from the Soviet Union, the US, China, Europe and even Russia
The position of the Egyptian air force to neighboring countries, such as Saudi Arabi, Israel and Algeria, has declined significantly since the 1980s
At that time, the country relied mostly on US weapons
meanwhile The United States also limited the supply of the most advanced weapons to Egypt
However, Egypt's air force has rapidly improved since the new government was created in 2013
They have made large investments in advanced weapons systems, mainly of Russian origin
The first is the S-300V4 missile
The Egyptian military ordered the S-300V4 long-range surface-to-air missile system in 2013
along with additional BuK-M2 short-range and Tor-M2 medium-range missile systems
S-300V4 is considered an advanced platform, integrating many technologies similar to the S-400 system
The S-300V4 is designed for increased flexibility, relying on a track chassis instead of a wheeled vehicle like the S-400's
The platform is capable of deploying long-range supersonic missiles, similar to the S-400 system
including the 40N6E missile that can strike targets at any altitude, with ranges of up to 400km
The rapid deployment of the S-300V4 is well-suited to the armed forces of Egypt
which are prohibited from deploying advanced weapons systems to the Sinai peninsula
The missile batteries will promptly support ground forces in the event of a conflict
Egypt also owns E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft
E-2 Hawkeye is capable of tracking hundreds of aircraft at once
and can provide accurate information about the enemy's position
directly supporting the missiles to quickly destroy the enemy
The E-2 Hawkeye is also capable of guiding missiles, launched from F-16, Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighter jets
The E-2 Hawkeye remains a key player in Egypt's air force, though it is shifting to rely more on Russian fighters
Next, the Su-35, a heavy air superiority fighter, capable of engaging the Israeli F-15 Eagles fighters
Egypt's Su-35 is capable of fighting better than all the aircraft of the countries in the region
The aircraft is equipped with R-37M long-range supersonic missile, three-dimensional thrust vector engine
The airframe is made from synthetic material, helping to reduce weight and radar signature
Egypt's third most valuable asset is the Rafale fighter
Egypt is the first customer to have access to the French medium fighter
Rafale is equipped with a powerful AESA radar, with an advanced electronic warfare system
However, the air-to-air combat range of the fighter is limited
based on the French MICA missile with a significantly shorter range than the US AIM-120C and Russia's R-77
and less much more than the R-37M of the Su-35
Next up is the MiG-29M fighter
These aircraft have a large range, are fitted with outstanding sensors and electronic warfare systems
making them very formidable in the air despite their modest cost
The MiG-29's R-77 and R-27ER air-to-air missiles allow it to outperform Israel's F-15 and F-16 fighters
It is expected that in the coming time, the Egyptian Air Force will continue to be supplemented with modern Russian MiG-35 medium fighters