Egyptian-Chinese military relations are entering a new phase of cooperation with the launch of the joint air combat maneuvers “Eagles of Civilization 2026,” amid ongoing regional tensions. The drills are the second of their kind between Egypt and China in two years and represent a new boost to military ties between the two countries, according to an Egyptian military and strategic expert who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat. He believes the cooperation could later expand into broader military collaboration as part of Cairo’s efforts to diversify its sources of military production. On Saturday, the Egyptian military announced in a statement the start of “Eagles of Civilization 2026,” involving a number of multi-role fighter aircraft of various types. The statement noted that the drills are being conducted over several days at several air bases across Egypt as part of the second edition of the exercise between the two countries. The initial phases include a series of theoretical and practical lectures aimed at harmonizing combat concepts between the two sides, in addition to joint air sorties and training on planning and managing combined air operations. According to the Egyptian statement, the exercises aim to exchange expertise and enhance the skills of participating forces within the framework of Egypt’s joint training program with allied and friendly nations. The goal is to strengthen cooperation across various military fields. On August 14, Senior Colonel Chen Xi, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), stated during a press conference that the exercises would conclude in early September. He noted that this is the second joint training program between the air forces of the two countries. According to Xi, “the training will focus on such subjects as air combat tactics, air superiority operations, and combat search and rescue, and will include force employment drills.” "As the second iteration of its kind, the joint training will further enhance mutual trust and traditional friendship, deepen substantive cooperation between the Chinese and Egyptian militaries, and contribute to regional peace and stability," stressed the spokesperson. The first edition, “Eagles of Civilization 2025,” was held in April 2025 at an Egyptian air base and involved various types of multi-role fighter aircraft. Fighter jets from the "Eagles of Civilization 2025" exercise (Military Spokesperson) Boost to Military Relations Military and strategic expert Major General Samir Farag told Asharq Al-Awsat that the exercise directly contributes to strengthening military relations between Egypt and China. He said the second edition reflects the success of the first exercise, stressing that the deployment of Chinese aircraft to Egypt for joint training demonstrates that Beijing is deriving significant benefits from the cooperation. “Egypt is known for the diversity of its partnerships and is among the countries that conduct the largest number of joint military exercises. We benefit from them, and so do our partners,” Farag added. Expanding Cooperation Egyptian-Chinese military cooperation has previously been a source of concern for Israel. In February 2025, Israeli media reported serious concerns among Israeli security agencies regarding the possibility of Egypt acquiring Chinese J-10C fighter jets equipped with long-range air-to-air missiles. Israeli sources said at the time that the main concern was not the fighter aircraft itself but rather the long-range Chinese air-to-air missile, a capability the Egyptian Air Force had not previously possessed. Such missiles, they argued, could enable Egyptian aircraft to engage Israeli aircraft even before they entered visual range. This was followed by a report in The National Interest magazine in December, stating that Egypt had turned to China to develop an advanced fleet of drones as part of efforts to counter what it described as Israel’s aggressive actions along Egypt’s eastern border. Addressing speculation that the current maneuvers are linked to specific arms deals, Farag said that discussions about the purchase of J-10 fighters or other weapon systems fall outside the scope of the drills. “The exercise has nothing to do with that issue,” he stressed. He added that Egyptian-Chinese military relations are moving toward broader partnership, particularly given existing cooperation in the field of drones that are being manufactured locally in Egypt. He noted that further military collaboration is likely in both joint training and defense-industrial production.
