The United Arab Emirates announced on Thursday, 8 May, that Egyptian combat aircraft had been deployed on its soil for the first time, with the Emirati Ministry of Defence revealing a contingent of Rafale F3R fighters from the Egyptian Air Force to assist the UAE in defensive operations against Iranian drones and missiles.
The disclosure, a significant military signal, came during an unannounced visit to Abu Dhabi by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, and was notable given that Cairo and Abu Dhabi have often found themselves on opposite sides of regional disputes, even as the UAE remains Egypt’s largest foreign investor.
Al-Sisi and President Mohamed bin Zayed jointly inspected the Egyptian fighter detachment, reviewing its operational readiness and meeting personally with some of the pilots credited with helping to keep the Emirates safe during the regional conflict. Neither government disclosed the aircraft’s type or location, though Egypt’s air force draws on a mixed fleet of American, French, and Russian-built fighters, among them the F-16, the Rafale, and the MiG-29.
The Egyptian president declared that Cairo stood in “complete solidarity” with the Emirates, rejected what he called Iranian aggressions against Emirati sovereignty, and said flatly, “What affects the Emirates affects Egypt.” His visit came days after fresh attacks that Abu Dhabi attributed to Iran — accusations Tehran denied.
The president flew from Abu Dhabi to Muscat to meet with Sultan Haitham of Oman and discuss prospects for a U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement. The military and diplomatic stops reflect Cairo’s effort to reassert itself as a regional power after Gulf states, which have extended roughly USD 120 billion (EGP 6.3 trillion ) in aid to Egypt over the past decade, publicly criticized Cairo’s silence during earlier Iranian strikes on Gulf targets.
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