Analisi: la Russia non è più leader nei jet militari a basso costo e lunga durata mentre l’Egitto cerca una spesa alternativa

>The Egyptian Air Force uses MiG-29s as airborne refueling tankers for “buddy-buddy” refueling of its Rafales, thanks to the compatibility of their in-flight refueling (IFR) systems. However, Russian aircraft are not compatible with the types of missiles and bombs used by the EAF’s F-16s and Rafales. Additionally, the MiG-29s lack active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, and the beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAMs) they carry are inferior to their American and European counterparts. While the MiG-29s cannot exchange data with Egypt’s American aircraft, Cairo hoped they could function as a “force within a force” to enhance their limited air-to-air capabilities. This is a difficult gamble, given that modern doctrine and tactics emphasize cooperation and connectivity.

>Regarding the aborted purchase of Sukhoi Su-35S aircraft, these were shown to be technically inferior to the Rafale, particularly during competitions in South Korea in 2002 and Brazil in 2014. **In South Korea, the Rafale received the highest scores in all categories, winning the technical-operational trials by a wide margin and significantly outperforming the Su-35, which was disadvantaged from the start due to its inferior avionics and high maintenance costs. The same happened in Brazil, where the Su-35 was immediately eliminated.** Today, the Su-35 is even more disadvantaged by the absence of certain French components following the ban on access to Thales-supplied equipment after the invasion of Ukraine.