The Russian Aerospace Forces will conduct the first redeployment of paratroopers and military equipment to Egypt for participation in military exercises, said the Russian Defense Ministry, according to Sputnik.
The Russian News Agency reported that the deployment of paratroopers is scheduled for October 2016.
“For the first time, the Il-76 (NATO reporting name: Candid) of the military transport aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces… will transfer regiments of Russian paratroopers with weapons and military equipment to Africa”
The ministry’s information and mass communication department told reporters,”This will be the first mass redeployment of paratroopers to the region of arid climate in the Arab Republic of Egypt, which will take place within the framework of preparation for joint exercises.”
Since al-Sisi military coup in 2013,teh Egyptian regime started to widen his military armament sources through importing weapons from Russia, marking a likely shift in Egypt’s arms imports that used to depend mostly of the United States of America.
In September 2016,a high-ranking Egyptian military delegation headed to Russia for meetings and discussions on bilateral military cooperation between the two countries. Egypt’s military delegation to Russia included Minister of Defense Sedky Sobhy and Minister of Military Production Mohamed Al-Assar.
This is the third meeting held by the Egyptian-Russian military committee. The first meeting took place in February when a Russian military delegation visited Cairo, and the second meeting was in Russia headed by Al-Assar.
In the last trip, the Russian minister of defense Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoygu referred to bilateral manoeuvres between Egypt and Russia as a part of their “solid” military cooperation, adding that both countries will execute new manoeuvres in the field of counter-terrorism.
Moreover, the Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said on the sidelines of the Army 2016 international military-technical forum, “Russia is considering an opportunity to start servicing military hardware in Egypt as well as localize military production in that country.”
The relation between Russia and Egypt has flourished after the military coup in 2013 led by al-Sisi against the first democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi.
Egypt’s Armed Forces have previously signed an arms deal with the Russian Rosoboronexport armaments company for the sale and delivery of 46 attack helicopters.
Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport Deputy Director General Igor Sevastyanov previously stated that Russia will most probably provide equipment for Egypt’s Mistral-class helicopter carriers delivered from France.
