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Egypt's Arms Deal with Russia: Potential Strategic Costs
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) David Schenker and Eric Trager - Egyptian military leader Abdul Fattah al-Sisi reportedly inked deals to purchase $2 billion worth of weapons from Russia during his February visit. Those arms sales could erode Israel's qualitative military edge and become yet another irritant in the U.S.-Egyptian relationship. Cairo is reportedly seeking air-defense systems from Moscow - potentially including advanced S-300 missiles - as well as MiG fighter jets and Kornet antitank weapons. If Egypt does in fact intend to procure game-changing systems such as the S-300 and the Kornet, Washington should warn Cairo of the risks such an acquisition would pose to U.S. security assistance and the broader bilateral relationship. To be sure, the strategic cooperation and level of trust between Israel and Egypt, particularly on Sinai, has never been better. But changing the status quo could undermine that trust and perhaps even the Camp David peace treaty.