Held at Alamein International Airport under the patronage of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, the Egyptian International Airshow featured a wide range of activities and events, including static aircraft and flying displays and a conference during the three-day event which wrapped up on 5 September.

A diverse array of aircraft of various sizes and military and civilian uses was open to viewing on the exhibition grounds, while innumerable other aerospace items were on display in the exhibition halls that visitors could explore at leisure.  

More than 300 companies and entities representing 100 countries participated in the event on the outskirts of New Alamein city. Described as the largest aerospace exhibition in Africa and the Middle East, the event aimed to accelerate industrialisation, digitalisation, and globalisation in the defence, space, and commercial aviation sectors in Africa and the Middle East, and to keep abreast of the latest innovations in aerospace products and services.

One major exhibitor was the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation (AOI), the production arm of the Egyptian defence industry. The AOI’s pavilion showcased some of the latest planes and other aerospace-related equipment manufactured in Egypt. The AOI aims to strengthen partnerships with other Arab countries in defence industries and to indigenise defence manufacturers in these countries.

AOI Chairman Mokhtar Abdel-Latif took the occasion to announce that the AOI had just signed a cooperation agreement with Zeed International, a leading defence manufacturer and supplier based in Oman. The two entities will study the creation of a jointly owned company for domestic and Arab industrial investments in Egypt and abroad. They also plan to study joint investment in the creation of new production lines in diverse manufactures and to promote exports to Arab and African countries.

Speaking in a joint press conference with Sheikh Ahmed Al-Sibani, chairman of the board of Zeed International Company, the AOI chairman expressed his esteemed respect for the AOI’s historic and pioneering role in Arab industry in all fields of defence and civil manufacturing. It is a role that “we can all be proud of,” he said, praising the AOI’s strategy of indigenising the latest manufacturing technologies and increasing the ratio of domestic manufacturers in the defence industry. He said he was looking forward to strengthening his firm’s partnership with it in diverse manufactures and in exploring new outlets for exports.

Noting that the contract AOI signed with Zeed was a continuation of their cooperation in other fields, Abdel-Latif added that his firm aspired to promote partnerships with “Arab brothers” towards the realisation of industrial and economic integration in defence and civil manufacturing and maximising the industrial and resource potentials across the Arab region.

Among the AOI products on display at the air show were the Haris-4 and Haris-2 systems for detecting and countering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An integrated defence system, the Haris-4 detects UAVs by radar and electronically, classifies and confirms targets using an integrated electro-optical system, and then selects the appropriate countermeasure from a range of passive and active options. The detection and countermeasure systems are integrated through a command centre ensuring they work in harmony. The Haris-2 is similar but designed for small- and micro-UAVs. The Haris-2, with all its subsystems, can be fitted out on a Fahd-class armoured vehicle, greatly enhancing the protection and manoeuvrability of troops in combat theatres.

The AOI pavilion also featured a multi-task remote-controlled platform able to accommodate a variety of heavy equipment, such as 4.5 mm and 30 mm calibre guns, 40 mm grenade launchers, anti-tank missile launchers, and a multi-launch rocket system which can fire multiple rockets in quick succession for concentrated strikes. With its unique and unconventional design, it is readily adaptable for a variety of military forces from infantry and artillery units to naval forces, border guards and even special forces. The platform is equipped with a gyroscopic system (RCWS) and artificial intelligence (AI). The former ensures the stability of the platform when moving, ensuring the artillery remains accurately targeted, while the AI enhances targeting precision and efficiency.

The pavilion also showcased the Ahmous surveillance drone. It is equipped with state-of-the-art electro-optical and radar detection systems that provide day/night vision and ensure high-resolution imaging and reconnaissance. The single-engine aircraft can be fitted with additional fuel tanks, increasing its range for longer missions. The Ahmous is produced by the Robotics Engineering Systems (RES), which specialises in the production of UAVs. RES is currently engaged in an ambitious project, in collaboration with the Egyptian Air Force, to indigenise defence products. The project’s motto is “Made in Egypt” and, according to its CEO Saleh Ayad, the firm lives up to the motto by relying on local products in its manufacturing operations.  

RES started by producing UAVs with a 14-hour flight endurance and then moved on to drones with longer endurance and ranges, such as the Ahmous and 6 October. The RES also displayed some of its target drones, which are used for training and simulation purposes. Two other drones produced by RES are the Taba 1 and Taba 2, which are high-speed, highly manoeuvrable jet-powered drones that can be used for training and reconnaissance missions. Of the five UAVs produced by RES, three have already been approved and are operational in the Egyptian Air Force.

China took centre stage in Alamein, with an impressive airshow in the opening of the exhibition showcasing for the first time the Chinese J-10 fighter jet in Africa.

China’s Y-20 military transport plane was also on display after having taken the 10,000 km flight to Egypt ahead of the event.

The Egyptian International Airshow was the first time the Chinese showed off their advanced defence capabilities so prominently in a major international exhibition.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 12 September, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly