Russia is Trying to Penetrate Egyptian Weapons Market

Russia is Trying to Penetrate Egyptian Weapons Market

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Egypt is interested in the procurement of Buk-M3 Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM) from Russia.

The parties still need to agree on volumes, terms of performance and cost of the contract.

An unnamed source in the military was quoted as saying by Izvestia: “Cairo has requested Buk-M3 missiles from Moscow. Egypt has a modification of Buk-M2E missile system and is interested in increased combat capabilities of the new Buk, demonstrated in a closed part of the forum, Army 2016.”

First Division SAM Buk-M3 has already entered service with the Russian army. The new modification increases the range of the set – up to 70 km and a height of hitting the target – up to 35 km, defenseworld.net reports.

Buk-M3 is equipped with a new anti-aircraft missile 9M317M capable of acting on a “fire and forget.” With the new range of radar the system can simultaneously track and direct missiles at 36 targets.

Buk-M3’s combat capabilities are comparable with earlier versions of the much more complex set, S-300, defenseworld.net quotes experts. The new “Buk” can protect the ground troops as the enemy attacks from tactical aircraft and missile strikes from short and medium range.

The new modification was a transition to new components, which led to an increase in capacity computing system.

Independent military expert Yury Ljamin said that, “The Buk-M3 is a highly mobile system designed for operation as part of army units”. He added that Egypt is currently in the process of a large-scale modernization of the armed forces to be able to fight against a powerful enemy.

Head of the “The military balance in the Middle East” program in the Tel Aviv Institute for the Study of National Security (INSS) Yiftah Shapir told “Izvestia” that current large-scale purchases of modern weapons by Egypt were dictated by considerations of prestige and claims in Cairo for leadership in the Arab world.

Now the military threat to Egypt comes more from Libya and Sudan. In Libya, it is associated with terrorists, and possible conflicts with Sudan because of the waters of the Nile River.