Guide to Chinese military hardware on show in Egypt during President Xi's visit

During President Xi Jinping's state visit to Egypt, a clear picture of China's military offerings is evident at Egyptian airbases. The Egyptian and Chinese air forces have been conducting their second joint military exercise, Eagles of Civilisation 2026, for the past 10 days. Chinese aircraft arrived in Egypt on August 21 after traveling over 6,000km.

This year's Chinese contingent is larger and more diversified than in 2025, serving as a rolling showroom for aircraft Beijing hopes Egypt and other Middle Eastern buyers will consider. According to Justin Bronk, senior research fellow for air power at the Royal United Services Institute in London, China is pushing to replace Russia as Egypt's non-Western air power supplier of choice.

China produces several types of military aircraft, including the J-16, J-10C, J-35, YU-20, KJ-500, and HQ-9B. The J-16, a 4.5-generation twin-engined strike fighter, will likely not be part of Egypt's air force due to export restrictions. However, its presence in Egypt is for demonstration purposes.

The J-10C, a medium-weight fighter, is being openly promoted for Egypt. Its origins are controversial, with Chinese engineers receiving assistance from Israel Aerospace Industries. The J-35, a new stealth fighter similar to the F-35, is not part of the exercise but could be a potential sale. The YU-20, a versatile aerial-refuelling variant of the Xian Y-20, demonstrated cross-fleet compatibility by refuelling an Egyptian Rafale.

The KJ-500, a large airborne surveillance aircraft, and the Y-9LG, an airborne stand-off jammer, were also part of the exercises. Egypt has already deployed the HQ-9B long-range surface-to-air missile system in Sinai.