Egypt buys Chinese drones for billions of dollars.

The Egyptian Ministry of Defense and China are engaged in negotiations to introduce several Chinese Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) WJ-700 jet-powered long-endurance drones at a price in the billions of dollars. Media outlets such as "Arab Defense" and "Defense Blog" have even reported that the relevant contract was signed as early as [year] [month].

Egypt has successively purchased Wing Loong-1, Wing Loong-2, an unknown number of CH-4, CH-5 (no actual aircraft exposure yet), and other long-endurance drones, as well as the Y-9 tactical reconnaissance aircraft, an unknown number of Y-9 Egypt-customized Hamza drones. For Egypt, which has purchased a large number of Chinese-made drones, the Chinese-manufactured, mid-to-high-end Y-9 drone is indeed a very suitable choice. Chinese-made drones are expected to achieve comprehensive coverage across low, medium, and high tiers in Egypt. Egypt’s next step may involve the Wing Loong-3, a stealth drone.

- Parameters

The Falcon UAV is approximately meters in length, with a wingspan of meters and a height of about . meters. It has a maximum takeoff weight ranging from . to . tons. Powered by a dorsal-mounted turbofan engine with a thrust of tons, it achieves a maximum speed of kilometers per hour and a cruising speed of kilometers per hour. Its maximum service ceiling is meters, with a practical ceiling of meters. It offers an endurance of hours and a maximum range of to kilometers. Equipped with external hardpoints, it can carry external payloads of up to kilograms.

内部则可容纳200_{300公斤的光电、雷达与电子侦察设备等载荷。在挂载能力方面，WJ-700可搭载CM-102反辐射导弹；射程15}20公里，弹重117公斤、用来对付小艇的C701轻型反舰导弹；射程75或170公里，弹重320~340公斤，战斗部重量110~130公斤，用来对付小型水面舰艇的C705轻型反舰导弹；射程25公里的CM-502KG空地导弹等一连串载荷。

In terms of flight endurance, the maximum endurance of the - drone is only hours, which truly offers no advantage. It cannot compete with the -hour Wing Loong -, the -hour Wing Loong -, the -hour Wing Loong -, the /-hour CH- (Rainbow-), nor even the -hour improved version or the -hour CH- (Rainbow-).

However, the speed and range of the - are quite impressive. The Wing Loong- and Wing Loong- have a maximum speed of only kilometers per hour; the Wing Loong- is slightly better, but still only reaches kilometers per hour; the CH- is surprisingly slow at kilometers per hour, with a cruising speed as low as kilometers per hour; the speed of the CH- drone is kilometers per hour. These propeller-powered long-endurance reconnaissance and strike drones do have long flight times, but their speeds are generally modest. In contrast, the -, powered by a turbofan engine, boasts a maximum speed of up to kilometers per hour and a cruising speed of kilometers per hour. This is significantly faster than the propeller-driven Wing Loong-, Wing Loong-, as well as the CH- and CH-. A higher speed means the ability to reach the combat zone more quickly and handle time-sensitive targets with greater ease.

Summary of Features

What flies faster than it doesn't fly as far, and what flies farther than it doesn't fly as fast. As for those that fly both faster and farther, they are heavier and have higher operating costs. It can be said that this drone is truly an excellent unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, or rather, an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft with a certain ground strike capability. Its performance is genuinely impressive. With a weight of . tons, it simultaneously achieves a cruising speed of over . kilometers per hour, a flight altitude at the .-thousand-meter level, and a maximum range at the ten-thousand-kilometer level. It represents an excellent combination of price, performance, and operational costs, making it a truly outstanding drone.

Egyptian demand

For Egypt, purchasing the - at a price of hundreds of millions of dollars is an absolutely worthwhile contract. After all, in the current market for exported drones, the only competitor comparable to the - is the American -. The export price of that system is also in the hundreds of millions of dollars, making it exceptionally expensive. While the performance of the - may not match that of the -, for Egypt, which has no need for long-range reconnaissance, the combined reconnaissance effectiveness of two - units is clearly superior to that of a single -. Egypt does not possess any drone with performance comparable to the -. Moreover, as a reconnaissance-strike integrated drone, the - offers long endurance, extended flight range, and precision strike capabilities, making it well-suited to address the low-intensity threats Egypt frequently faces from neighboring countries. In the context of significant drone threats in the Mediterranean, the - can also serve as an aerial interceptor, reducing Egypt's air defense pressure.

When dealing with Israel, it can achieve round-the-clock uninterrupted patrols, thereby discouraging most of Israel's risky ideas. Additionally, by leveraging its flight endurance advantage, it can linger near Israel's territorial waters for extended periods, tying down the Israeli Air Force's resources and forcing Israel to waste the service life of its fighter jets.