China denied the delivery of J-10 fighter jets to Egypt under a highly classified contract, if such an agreement exists at all.

The Ministry of Defense of China has officially and quite resolutely denied the transfer of the first J-10C Vigorous Dragon fighters to Egypt. This comes in response to a series of reports from Arab media about such a reinforcement for Egypt. Notably, the official denial occurred nearly two weeks after the information began circulating.

At the same time, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense remains completely silent regarding the potential acquisition of the fighters. Moreover, neither Cairo nor Beijing has officially confirmed the existence of a contract for the purchase of these aircraft. The initial unconfirmed information about such a contract surfaced in the spring of 2024.

It was also noted that these planes were supposedly intended to replace the F-16s, which constitute the backbone of the country's air fleet, as Egypt currently possesses 32 F-16A/B and 175 F-16C/D. The only logical explanation for why Cairo chose the Chinese J-10C is access to long-range missiles, since even the French Rafale came without Meteor missiles, which Egypt purchased in three iterations totaling 66 units.

However, a more logical decision might be to replace 41 Russian MiG-29Ms, given their questionable combat readiness and the ongoing maintenance issues.

As of now, there has been no confirmation of the existence of a contract between China and Egypt for the purchase of J-10C Vigorous Dragons. Although some sources claimed that it was signed in early September 2024 during the first Egypt International Airshow, there is no even approximate information regarding the number and cost of the aircraft.

Thus, if a contract really exists between China and Egypt for the J-10C fighters, it is currently more than secretive. If the intention is indeed to replace the F-16s, then this points to the potential for a massive clandestine order for hundreds of fighters. This scenario is further emphasized by the fact that the Chinese Ministry of Defense only denied the supply of aircraft, not the existence of agreements in general.

The J-10 is a single-engine 4+ generation fighter with a maximum takeoff weight of 19,227 kg, believed to be based on several design elements from the Israeli IAI Lavi. It was put into service in 2006. The J-10C version appeared in 2018 and features a new Chinese WS-10B engine instead of the Russian AL-31FN, upgraded electronics, a broader range of armaments, and reduced visibility.

In the fall of 2024, the J-10CE version was showcased, featuring an expanded range of long-range precision weapons. The "E" in the name could also refer to Egypt, or simply Export or Enhanced.

The only known export customer for the J-10C at present is Pakistan, which ordered 25 of these aircraft at the end of 2021. By March 2022, the first batch of six aircraft had already been delivered. Therefore, when it comes to purchasing Chinese weapons, the waiting times can indeed be quite minimal.