EIAS 2026 – Egypt still searches for ‘new trainer’
The Egyptian Air Force’s (EAF) trainer requirement seems for now to have taken a back seat. Two years ago, at EIAS 24 there were three aircraft present – a Leonardo M346 Block 20, Aero L-39NG Skyfox and TAI Hurjet, in the flying display but this year nothing. The EAF is known to be looking for up to 36 ‘new trainers’ in a first tranche purchase to replace the existing fleet of around 20 Alphajets in the advanced flying training role
It seems the contenders are now the Korean Aerospace Industries with FA-50, Hongdu L-15 and Leonardo M346 Block 20 combo. According to one source, all three companies have submitted Final and Best Offers several times, the last a year or so ago but there has been no signal from the EAF that it wants to proceed. The EAF is now believed to considering its budget again, as there has been some speculation the required funding has not been approved.
Once a decision has been made, the Egyptian MOD will need to deliver a deposit, but the winning aerospace company will have to provide funding for the 100% of the cost. All three contenders have undoubtedly spoken to their respective banks to cover that.
However, another issue is that new pilots are learning fighter skills on a French built 1990s-era Alphajet, and of the 45 delivered in 1982/83 only 24 are believed to be still airworthy. There is also the 106 surviving Chinese Hongdu K-8Es in the basic flying training role, although it’s unclear how many are airworthy but the Honeywell TFE731 powerplant maintenance issues have now been resolved with the AOI (Arab Organisation for Industrialisation) carrying out maintenance work again at its Helwan Aircraft Factory. While the more experienced pilots flying the Dassault Rafales (48 are on order, around 34 delivered) there will come a time when the newly qualified pilots should be training in a modern digital cockpit. Other fighters that pilots can progress to from the Alphajet, include the US built Lockheed Martin F-16 or Russian Mikoyan MiG-29M1/M3.
It is possible that aerospace companies could offer more than one type as a solution for both the basic and advance flying training. Looking at the Leonardo stand, the company is marketing both the M345 Master and M346 Block 20. KAI could offer the KT-1 and FA-50, while CATIC will offer the L-15 and the new XJJ turboprop basic trainer.
Aero Vodochody which has a stand at the show, could obviously market the L-39NG Skyfox as a basic trainer solution. Whatever happens, industrial partners would need to be worked with, with AOI among the leading candidates. The company was responsible for assembling the EAF K-8 Korakorams in the 1990s and still maintains them today.
Photos by A. Warnes
