Page 9 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2021 Online Magazine

Delicately [ REPORT ]

Poised

WITH EGYPT DIVERSIFYING ITS ARMS region. A healthy relationship between the U.S.
SUPPLIER BASE, A SUBTLE SHIFT OCCURS and Egypt plays a major role in limiting Russian
IN THE LONGSTANDING EGYPT-U.S. DEFENCE and Chinese inroads into the region, something
that the U.S. is keen on ensuring. Expect Egypt
RELATIONSHIP to continue efforts to diversify its arms suppli-
ers, with or without Washington’s blessings.

Arun Sivasankaran Seeking an Attitude Shift
Failed attempts made since 2013 by the
Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations to
By braving potential sanctions and purchasing weapons from coun- make Egypt improve its human rights record
tries such as Russia and China, Egypt has made its intentions clear prove that punitive actions such as suspend-
to move away from depending totally on U.S.- made arms, but ing weapons deliveries, reprogramming aid,
Washington will, for the foreseeable future, remain its preferred and withholding financial assistance are not
provider of military material. as effective anymore as they once were. Egypt
today is on a much stronger footing financially
The Biden administration’s decision in September to withhold than it was about 40 years ago; the up to
US$130 million worth of military aid to Egypt until Cairo takes US$1.3 billion in annual foreign military financ-
specific steps related to human rights is a plot twist, but close ing that Washington has provided Egypt since
military-to-military ties between the two countries, with Foreign the 2017 fiscal year amounts to less than half a
Military Financing (FMF) as its backbone, will ensure the durability percent of the country’s GDP now, compared
of the partnership. The contours of the relationship, though, are to U.S. aid constituting nearly 6.5% of the GDP
definitely changing. in 1978. While there is a section that believe
that the U.S. is being too soft on Egypt for its
Egypt’s calculated risk in going ahead with the purchase of Su-35 alleged human rights violations, others believe
fighter jets from Russia, after the U.S. refused to sell it F-35 fighter that strongarm tactics by Washington will only
jets, has much to do with the fact the U.S. cannot ignore how critical make Egypt move closer to the U.S’ principal
the Middle Eastern country is for its military requirements in the adversaries – China and Russia.

ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY November / December 2021 | 9