Egypt eyes Chinese J-35 stealth jets in potential blow to US defence ties

During recent joint air drills in Egypt, a senior Air Force official reportedly showed strong interest in China’s J-35 stealth fighter jet, suggesting a potential realignment in Egypt’s defense acquisition strategy, which has traditionally been a robust US ally in the region.

Lieutenant General Mahmoud Fuad Abdel Gawad, commander of the Egyptian Air Force, has been cited by Moroccan-based outlet Defense Arabik as having singled out the J-35 during the first-ever joint air exercise between the two countries, titled “Eagles of Civilization 2025” at Wadi Abu Rish Air Base.

His comments, including an expressed desire to travel to China to personally inspect the aircraft, have ignited speculation about Egypt’s intentions to upgrade its air capabilities and reduce its heavy reliance on the United States for advanced military hardware. The J-35, seen as China’s answer to the American F-35, is becoming increasingly attractive to countries in the Middle East and South Asia. China is actively working to expand its influence in regions traditionally aligned with the West by offering competitive alternatives in advanced weaponry.

Retired Egyptian Army Major General Sayed Ghoneim, Chairman of the Institute for Global Security and Defense Affairs (IGSDA) in Abu Dhabi, told the Newsweek publication that a J-35 model had been showcased earlier this month during an event celebrating 45 years of Egypt-China military cooperation, suggesting a symbolic pivot. He added, "This move could also be aimed at pressuring the US to be more flexible with Egypt's requests for advanced fighter jets—especially given Washington's disregard for Egypt's security concerns during Israel's recent war on Gaza, and its insistence that its weapons not be used by any country against US allies."

According to the US article, Egypt's efforts to upgrade its aging F-16 fleet have been hindered by budgetary constraints and rigid conditions placed on Western arms transfers. Pakistan, which faces similar limits on US-supplied F-16s, has turned to Chinese jets such as the J-10C, which it reportedly used in engagements with Indian aircraft. These J-10s also participated in Egypt’s first-ever joint air exercise with China.

Commenting on a potential J-35 acquisition, Ghoneim added, "This could reduce the share of American weaponry in the Egyptian military—a shift that might ripple across other markets in the region and beyond, as Egypt is considered a key reference point for countries assessing the quality of global weapons systems. This was evident with Egypt's acquisition of the French Rafale, and especially in light of its openness to importing arms from other countries such as South Korea and Germany, as well as purchasing components from various other sources."

Belgium-based military analysis group Army Recognition raised critical questions related to this matter, considering whether China would be willing to export such a sensitive asset as the J-35 to a country like Egypt. "While the aircraft is officially intended for foreign markets, delivering a fifth-generation stealth fighter to a military historically aligned with the US would mark a significant strategic shift. For Beijing, it could represent a way to break into a region traditionally dominated by Western influence. However, it also entails political and technological risks, especially given Egypt's interoperability with NATO systems," it writes

Meanwhile, Egyptian state media reported that President Xi Jinping of China is expected to visit Egypt soon—a move hailed by the Egyptian Prime Minister as "a turning point" for deeper cooperation amid global and regional uncertainty, though no official date has yet been confirmed.

By Nazrin Sadigova