Egypt

[The Armchair Soldier]

A topic to discuss defence in Egypt.

[617]

Egyptian to purchase 46x Ka52K 'Hokum' naval helicopters.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /78182410/

To equip the two Mistral class LPD's, obviously.

I still struggle to understand why Egypt needs two helicopter carriers

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[ArmChairCivvy]

Yemen has the same population as the KSA.

Who is paying for the ships for Egypt? What is their nature (expeditionary, power projection. Whereto? To Libya you can simply cross the border).

Should the KSA get busy on their other coast (look how much effort and money they are putting into building that fleet), Egypt with these ships and their manpower can secure the other flank. As a hired hand.
- there is nothing new to this approach, Before the Saudi NG got built up proper, the Saudis used to pay for two Pakistani divisions, stationed near Riyadh, just to make sure a domestic Nasser (who they were, then, at war with in Yemen) would not take over

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[ArmChairCivvy]

That was almost one and a half years ago and the Libyan Foreign Minister
" Abdel Aziz ruled out requesting foreign air strikes against the insurgents in the short term, he hinted that they were a possibility should negotiations with the rebels fail. "Once we cannot achieve a serious or meaningful dialogue among all the factions, perhaps we can resort to other means afterwards," said Abdel Aziz, who was at a Cairo conference for regional foreign ministers about the future of Libya."["]

Since then Cairo and Riyadh have concluded a formal military alliance (no, not the one that caused some of the "members" like Togo and Pakistan to query, after the announcement, what was it that they are supposedly joining).

[ArmChairCivvy]

And to the East of Egypt, everyone taking sides after a Shia cleric is among the latest executions in Saudi:

" an MP in Iraq's governing Shia coalition said the death aimed at "provoking sectarian fighting", while Lebanon's Shia council called it a "grave mistake", Reuters reported.
Police in Bahrain, which has seen tensions between the majority Shia population and its Sunni rulers, fired tear gas on protesters angry at the execution.
Saudi authorities deny discriminating against Shia and blame Iran for stirring up discontent."
- Iran saying a high price will be extracted

The year is young... and the oil price could go anywhere

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[ArmChairCivvy]

There's an eye for an eye psychology deeply rooted in that general geography
- that's why Israel insists that nothing will pass without them hitting back (harder)

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[xav]

Russia, Egypt discuss contract to deliver equipment for Mistral amphibious assault ships

Russia and Egypt are discussing the details of a contract on the delivery of Russian-made communications and control systems for the Mistral-class amphibious assault ships to Cairo, a spokesman for the United Instrument-Manufacturing Corporation told TASS on Monday. A final decision has not been made yet, the spokesman said. The United Instrument-Manufacturing Corporation, part of Russia’s state hi-tech corporation Rostec, is the producer of the equipment of this type.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=3630

[xav]

First Egyptian Navy Mistral Class LHD Sailed Out to Sea for Initial Crew Formation

The first Mistral-class LHD Gamal Abdel Nasser (hull number L1010, the former Vladivostok initially intended for the Russian Navy), purchased by Egypt after the cancellation of the contract with Russia went out to sea for the first time with an Egyptian crew for a week of training.

180 Egyptian Navy sailors are reported to be aboard the vessel. A second series of formation at sea is set to take place on the second half of May. The Gamal Abdel Nasser is set to sail to its homeport in Egypt in June this year.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=3930

[ArmChairCivvy]

The Russian attack helos (the real punch from these ships) will take a tad longer?

RE "Regarding the amphibious means associated with the LHDs, DCNS will deliver four new generation LCUs (CTM NG). These were designed by the Group as part of an integrated amphibious force system organized around the Mistral ships. Two landing catamaran (L-CAT / EDAR) designed and built by CNIM will also be delivered.

Mistral class vessels are capable of carrying 16 helicopters"

Georgia and the Baltic states will let out a sigh of relief when these vessels make it to the Red Sea.

[ArmChairCivvy]

Egypt has paid back the financing for the two vessels (the Mistrals)
"outrage in Egypt over Cairo's transfer of the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com"

but what will be the price for the bn in credit extended by Russia to cover the purchase of attack helos for them?

[Halidon]

The price is being locked into a chunk of Russian-sourced equipment, like communication systems. Russia cannot afford for them to switch to US, French, Israeli, etc providers (for fiacal and prestige reasons) and Egypt doesn't particularly want to pay more for any of those at them moment, so it works out nicely.

[ArmChairCivvy]

Exactly. But the worrying trend is that the region (not just Egypt, or clients of old, like Algeria) is now buying not only armour (the low price is a good justification to get the numbers/ cutting edge quality trade-off right), but also advanced systems:
- attack helicopters
- area air defence systems
- ground-launched anti-ship systems... the list is getting longer (and Russia needs the hard currency).

So the strategically minded "West" creates the stick (oh, we can't possibly sell to you that kind of weapon system) and the carrot (sanctions against Russia, trying to stop the rearmament effort by bankrupting the Federation).
- that's the next horror story (the Russian Federation disintegrating; but it does not quite fit under the "Egypt" heading)
- let me just conclude that if you create a vacuum, then it would be worthwhile to consider upfront how it will fill itself

[SKB]

Egyptian military find EgyptAir MS804 debris

The Egyptian military has released images of items found during the search in the Mediterranean Sea for missing Egypt Air flight MS804.
They include life vests, parts of seats and objects clearly marked EgyptAir.

The plane was en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 people on board when it vanished from radar early on Thursday.
Investigators have confirmed smoke was detected in various parts of the cabin three minutes before it disappeared, but say the cause is still not known.

Speaking on Saturday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said "all theories are being examined and none is favoured."

[xav]

DCNS delivers the 2nd Mistral-class LHD to the Egyptian Navy, the Anwar El Sadat

On 16 September 2016, DCNS delivered the second of two helicopter carriers acquired by the Arab Republic of Egypt in October 2015, the LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) Anwar El Sadat. The flag transfer ceremony took place in the presence of the two Chiefs of Staff of the Egyptian and French navies, Admiral Rabie and Admiral Prazuck, the chairman and CEO of DCNS, Hervé Guillou, and the president of STX France, Laurent Castaing, together with senior French and Egyptian officials. By 2020, DCNS will have supplied seven combat vessels to Egypt, thus contributing to the modernisation of the Arab Republic of Egypt's defence system.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=4365

[Halidon]

Nice to see. DCNS' burgeoning relationship with Egypt continues.

[ArmChairCivvy]

DCNS' burgeoning relationship with Egypt continues.

Funded by the Saudis. It is easy to see where they woud use such "intervention"ships, for which the Saudis could not provide the manpower for (hence their fascination with the manpower-light LCS).
- now, Turkey is building their own... where would they intervene?

It is a crazy regional domination game, where Turkey has turned away from he West with their magalomanic leader dreaming of a new Ottoman Empire/ sphere of influence, the Saudis having co-opted Egypt (who can't play as money is scarce, and these are wasteful games) and finally Iran.
- Israel is trying to sit quietly in the middle (difficult, as they have traditionally had loud-mouthed leaders) and knitting a web of energy supply deals withthe neighbouring countries, to align their long-term security interests with Israel's (not a Coal & Steel Union, but a Gas & Oil Union, to make it impossible for the old foes to go into war with each other?).

[xav]

DCNS Launched the First GOWIND 2500 Corvette for the Egyptian Navy

On September 17 2016, DCNS launched the very first GOWIND 2500 corvette for the Egyptian Navy. The float out took place at the Lorient naval shipyard one day after the launch of FREMM Bretagne for the French Navy. First steel cut of the Egyptian Navy corvette took place on April 16 2015. The delivery of the vessel is set for 2017 (less than four years after the signature of the contract).

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=4370

[ArmChairCivvy]

The East and West of Libya are quickly consolidating into two different political entities, with some Misrata militias in the middle as a wild card.

"The fresh battle saw pro-GNA forces expand their clout in the capital. The forces have taken several districts from rival militias, including groups allied with Ghweil.

On Wednesday night, violent clashes rocked the capital's southern Salaheddine district.

However, the city and its surroundings were quiet on Thursday morning following the overnight deal.

An inter-Libyan political deal, backed by the UN and signed in December 2015, gave rise to the GNA and called for armed groups to leave Tripoli and other Libyan towns.
The capital is home to dozens of militias. Since taking office, the GNA has secured the backing of several, but many parts of Tripoli remain out of its control.

The unity government wants to see heavy weapons withdrawn from the capital to allow its security forces to operate effectively.

On Tuesday, heavy fighting rocked eastern Libya, where forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, the military commander of Libya's eastern government, regained control of two major oil ports of Ras Lanuf and al-Sidra from a rival faction that had seized them earlier this month.

Haftar's forces do not recognize the UN-backed government." from http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/libra ... 9zz%2e1t55

- Egypt seems to have taken a firm stand to support the Eastern entity (well, may be they just want stability on the border?) by allowing Russian SF to use their bases and fly recce drones out of them (in support of what is going on the other side of the border)