US State Department approves $5 billion in potential arms sales to Egypt military news
Heavy selling is likely to occur despite ongoing concerns over human rights violations by the Egyptian government.
The United States State Department has approved a potential arms sale to Egypt worth more than $5 billion.
The State Department informed Congress on Friday that it has approved the sale of equipment worth $4.69 billion for 555 US-made M1A1 Abrams tanks operated by Egypt, as well as $630 million of Hellfire air-to-surface missiles. Missiles and approved the sale of precision-guided missiles worth $30 million. War material.
In a statement released that day, she said the sale would support America’s “foreign policy and national security” by helping improve the security of a “major” non-NATO ally that has served as an important strategic partner in the Middle East. has worked.
Egypt and the US have worked together since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, with Cairo playing a role in negotiating the ceasefire.
The deals come despite ongoing concern in Washington over the poor human rights record of the Egyptian government under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Rights group Amnesty estimates there are currently around 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt, including British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fatah, who was jailed for “spreading false news” after sharing a Facebook post about alleged police brutality. Was put in jail on charges of.
Egypt has pardoned hundreds of political prisoners over the past two years. But rights groups have said at least three times as many people have been arrested over the same period.
major US aid recipients
US President Joe Biden took office in 2021 promising to take a tough stance on Egypt over human rights concerns, but his administration has approved several arms deals.
In 2022, his administration approved the sale of 12 Super Hercules C-130 transport aircraft and air defense radar systems to Egypt for a total of an estimated $2.5 billion.
The State Department’s notification to Congress about the latest potential sale did not indicate whether a contract has been signed or negotiations have ended.
The statement said that while the proposed sale “will not change the fundamental military balance in the region”, transactions involving Abrams tanks would take up to a decade to implement.
The US Congress can still block the sale, but such efforts usually fail.
Cairo is one of the largest recipients of US security assistance since the 1979 peace treaty with Israel. The largest recipient is Israel.