From April 19 to May 4 China and Egypt conducted the joint military exercise “Eagles of Civilization 2025.” The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) dispatched a detachment to Egypt for joint training with the air force of one of China’s key strategic partners in Africa. According to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, it was the first ever joint training between the militaries of China and Egypt.
The training subjects included airspace management, air combat operations management, efficient execution of orders, theoretical instruction, practical lectures, joint flights, basic maneuvers, air combat training, joint airstrikes, aerial refueling, air support, battlefield search and rescue, coordinated operations, and tactical confrontations. Over the course of two weeks, participating forces from both sides engaged in activities such as air combat training, aerial refueling, air support, battlefield search and rescue, professional knowledge exchanges, and air combat skill sharing.
The PLAAF detachment included four Y-20 transport aircraft and one YY-20 aerial refueling aircraft, primarily from the Western Theater Command; two J-10C fighter jets and as many J-10S trainer aircraft; one KJ-500 early warning aircraft, and at least one support helicopter transported by a Y-20. Chinese media reported that the J-10C’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, WS-10B turbofan engine, and PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile remained reliable under desert conditions.
Egypt deployed its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets for the exercise, with no publicly available information indicating the participation of any F-16 fighter planes bought from the United States. The U.S. does not provide AIM-120 missiles to Egypt, significantly restricting the air combat capabilities of its F-16 fleet. In terms of aerial performance, then, Egypt’s F-16s are considered weaker than the MiG-29M2s in its inventory, which are equipped with R-77 air-to-air missiles. This limitation has been a key factor in Egypt’s decision to purchase Rafale fighter jets from France in recent years.
The Eagles of Civilization 2025 joint exercise between China and Egypt was comparable in scale to the Shaheen series of joint air and naval exercises between China and Pakistan, where both sides deploy fighter jets and early warning aircraft for air combat drills. However, one major difference is that China and Pakistan can transport troops to the exercise site overland, whereas China and Egypt are separated by more than 5,000 kilometers.
The PLAAF detachment reportedly traveled from Xinjiang into Pakistan and then flew across the Arabian Sea, passing through the airspace of Pakistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia before arriving in Egypt. The fleet included J-10C fighter jets and J-10S trainers, which were not detected by public flight tracking platforms like Flightradar24. They received fuel from a YY-20 aerial refueling aircraft, a variant of the Y-20.
Notably, footage released by China’s state-run CCTV showed the J-10s flying in close formation with the Y-20s, making it difficult even for military radars to determine whether these aircraft were engaged in a transport mission or a combat deployment. Public information could only verify the presence of four Y-20s, one YY-20, one KJ-500, and one Z-20K transported by a Y-20.
The PLA has clearly drawn inspiration from the U.S. Air Force’s “Rapid Raptor” operation, which enables the rapid deployment of four F-22 stealth fighters within 24 hours to any location worldwide with the support of C-17 transport aircraft. The PLA has long emphasized “integrated air and space capabilities, both offensive and defensive,” but its readiness level and deployment speed still obviously lagged behind those of the U.S. military. This is an area where the PLA has been striving to improve, as seen in its recent joint exercise with Egypt and other overseas and domestic military drills over the past few years.
Compared with the “Falcon Strike” series of joint exercises between China and Thailand, which also focuses on aerial combat, the Eagles of Civilization 2025 exercise between China and Egypt demonstrated the initial development of integration capabilities. The PLAAF deployed not only fighter jets but also Y-20 transport aircraft, KJ-500 early warning aircraft, and YY-20 aerial refueling aircraft, establishing a system-based operations model that marks an early stage of integration. The advancement is largely attributed to the indigenously developed BeiDou satellite navigation system, which has enabled the PLAAF to transition toward a strategic air force capable of launching strikes across the globe, moving beyond its previous image as a housebound force that could only take care of homeland air defense.
This relates to the PLA’s active efforts to expand its overseas presence. Outside observers used to focus their attention on China’s acquisition of ports worldwide through its Belt and Road Initiative, a development likely linked to the earlier “String of Pearls” strategy. Recent developments suggest that military airfields could also become targets for a dual-use strategy. China may seek bilateral agreements with neighboring countries to secure access to overseas airbases for force projection. This could be a relevant subject for future PLA research.
In another sign of closer military cooperation, Egypt has confirmed its purchase of China’s HQ-9B air defense missile system, a move that could directly affect Israel’s air superiority in the region. The purchase marks a breakthrough in China’s arms diplomacy and signifies its determination to expand its presence in the global defense market following the Russia-Ukraine War.
In the foreseeable future, the PLA may use Y-20 aircraft to deliver HQ-9B systems to Egypt, just as it previously transported HQ-22 air defense missile systems to Serbia when the landlocked European country was virtually isolated. This complicates efforts to determine whether Y-20 flights to the Middle East are conducting transport missions or other operations that require fighter jets escorts. Signals intelligence cannot be counted on to differentiate between Y-20 airlifters and YY-20 aerial refueling aircraft. Taiwan must be mindful of potential twists in this approach, as the PLA could move troops in a similar manner under the guise of a seemingly non-threatening operation.
Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine War, the market share of Russian-made equipment has declined significantly, while U.S.-made weapons remain costly and unnecessary for countries facing lower threat levels. This has created an opportunity for Chinese-made weaponry to increase its presence in the global market.
In the past, China primarily marketed individual weapons systems. During the 2024 Singapore Airshow and previous editions of the Abu Dhabi Air Exposition, China showcased its weaponry as integrated system packages in an attempt to boost sales. Key products offered for sale by the PLA include armored vehicles and artillery, modularized equipment for combined arms forces, and digitized hardware packages designed to meet the needs of an entire unit.
During the Eagles of Civilization 2025, the PLAAF took advantage of its joint training with Egypt to demonstrate the capabilities of Chinese-made weapons, aiming to attract potential international buyers. The KJ-500 early warning aircraft and the J-10C fighter jet appear to be part of a bundled package that China intends to sell to the Egyptian air force.
A point of concern in this regard is China’s custom of “developing one generation, deploying one generation, and exporting one generation,” meaning active equipment will not be sold overseas unless China has already successfully developed a successor. Now that China is willing to showcase the KJ-500 and J-10C, an important question arises: Has the PLA’s next-generation air combat system already taken shape? This requires continuous monitoring as new information continues to emerge about the sixth-generation fighters that debuted in December 2024.