Egyptian military sources have reportedly confirmed that the Egyptian Air Force has procured the Chinese HQ-9B long range air defence system, providing a new backbone to the country’s previously highly limited surface-to-air missile network with potentially transformative impacts for the balance of power in the air between the country and potential adversaries. Although Egypt was previously reported to have procured the Russian S-300V4 system in the mid-2010s, this was never fully confirmed, with multiple reports indicating that the system was placed in storage due to Western threats to impose economic sanctions on Cairo.

Uncertainty regarding the procurement of S-300s, and the small scale of the reported order, makes the procurement of the HQ-9B a transformative development for Egypt’s air defences, which previously relied largely on ageing Vietnam War era systems such as the Soviet S-75 and S-125, supported by short and medium range Russian Tor-M2 and BuK-M2 systems acquired in the 2010s. The ability of even late Cold War era medium and long range air defence systems to cause serious complications for a modern air force have recently been highlighted by Ukraine’s effective use of systems such as the S-300PS/PT to limit the Russian Air Force’s ability to shape the ongoing war effort.

This has increased the attraction of acquiring more modern equivalents to systems for counties facing potential adversaries with greater aerial warfare capabilities.