Washington to provide Egypt with F-15 jets, US General says

The top US General for Forces in the Middle East said, on Tuesday, that he believed the United States would provide Egypt with F-15 aircraft, Reuters reports.

“I think we have good news in that we’re going to provide them with F-15s, which was a long, hard slog,” General Frank McKenzie, Head of US Central Command, said during a congressional hearing.

McKenzie did not provide details on timing or how many F-15 aircraft, made by Boeing BA.N, would be provided.

Last month, McKenzie emphasised “very robust” military assistance to Egypt as he flew into Cairo in the wake of a decision by President Joe Biden administration’s to cut $130 million in military aid to the country over human rights concerns.

Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, a former Army chief, has been criticised for crushing dissent since coming to power after leading the 2013 ouster of elected President, Mohamed Mursi, of the now-banned Islamist party, the Muslim Brotherhood.

US officials have said the American relationship with Egypt is complex. The most-populous Arab country is a vital ally and key voice in the Arab world. US military officials have long stressed Egypt’s role in expediting the passage of US warships through the Suez Canal and granting over-flight for American military aircraft.

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