A С-130J-30 military transport aircraft of the British Air Force. FILE IMAGE: David K – IOM
On January 25, the US State Department announced that it had approved two new arms deals with Egypt worth a total of $2.5 billion.
The first deal, which worth $2.2 billion, includes the sale of 12 C-130J-30 Super Hercules military transport aircraft and related equipment. The C-130J-30 is an extended fuselage variant of the basic C-130J, which has a range of 3,300 kilometers with a payload of 15,4 tons.
The second deal covers the sale of three SPS-48 Land Based Radars (LBR) and related equipment for $355 million. The SPS-48 LBR has an operational range of 460 km and can be used to direct targets for air defense systems such as the Sea Sparrow and RIM-116 SAM missiles.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that continues to be an important strategic partner in the Middle East,” the State Department said in two separate press releases on each of the deals.
The US provides Egypt with around $1.3 billion in military aid annually, of which $300 million is attached to certain conditions.
The addition of C-130J-30 aircraft will boost the logistic transport capabilities of the Egyptian Air Force, while the new SPS-48 LBR systems will significantly improve the early-warning capabilities of the Air Defense Forces.
Egypt has been modernizing its military to cope with the ever increasing security challenges in the Middle East and North Africa.
