No wonder, after the China-Egypt joint military exercise, the Y-20 remained in Cairo for a long time without returning, which made Russia take a deep breath!

After the "Civilization Eagle-2024" Sino-Egyptian Air Force joint exercise last year, the outside world noticed a detail: the Chinese Y-20 transport aircraft did not return as usual but stayed at an airbase near Cairo for several weeks.

More intriguingly, this was not the first time — earlier in the summer before the exercise, an Y-20A aerial refueling aircraft had also flown alone to Egypt and stayed for a long time. This unusual "prolonged visit" clearly went beyond mere diplomatic exchanges.

According to multiple sources, before the Sino-Egyptian joint military exercise, Egypt had formally submitted a procurement request to Russia, explicitly involving the Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport aircraft and related aerial refueling capabilities. At that time, Russia thought this deal was almost certain — after all, Egypt has been a traditional user of Russian equipment, from MiG-29s to Su-35s, and even T-90 tanks, with a solid foundation for cooperation.

But the turning point occurred during the "Civilization Eagle" exercise. When Egyptian Air Force pilots and ground crew had their first close-up look at the Y-20, especially seeing its digital cockpit, advanced avionics system, large cargo hold, and the ability to work with domestic early warning aircraft and fighters, their attitude changed significantly.

According to insiders, the Egyptian side's temporary request to "stay a few more days" was actually to conduct a thorough technical assessment of the Y-20, including key indicators such as takeoff and landing performance, maintenance complexity, and mission flexibility. This on-site "trial use + inspection" model is extremely rare in international arms trade, indicating that Egypt is seriously considering replacing the previously planned Russian plan.

For Russia, this is undoubtedly a warning. Over the past decade, Russian weapons still have influence in the Middle East and Africa, but with the rapid progress of China's industry, products such as the Y-20, J-10CE, and Hongqi air defense systems are winning favor in emerging markets with higher cost-effectiveness and fewer additional conditions.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852729979987162/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.