US sends out confused signals on Egypt
Egyptian SOF soldiers during urban warfare training in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. (Photo: US Army/Sgt Gregory Summers)
Withdrawal of FMF funding appears to contradict US approval of a much larger FMS deal for Egypt.
The US has cancelled $130 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) aid to Egypt on ‘human rights’ grounds, just days after announcing a $2.55 billion FMS package for the North African country and three weeks after Lockheed Martin gained a $102 million contract to upgrade Egyptian Air Force attack helicopters.
A halt to FMF support was on the cards since September 2021, when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken released $300 million but withheld the $130 million unless the Egyptian government addressed ‘specific human-rights related conditions’ by the end of January 2022.
In a 28 January announcement, the State Department confirmed that Cairo had failed to meet these conditions, so the $130 million will be diverted to other US national security priorities.
However, the decision lays the US open to charges of inconsistency, especially as it had approved the sale of a dozen new C-130J Super Hercules airlifters and SPS-48 air defence radar systems just a few days before.
In justifying its approval of this FMS package on 25 January, the State Department said the provision of C-130Js and SPS-48s would ‘support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally country that continues to be an important strategic partner in the Middle East’.
More from Defence Notes
-
![UK faces cost of balancing defensive capabilities abroad as Iran conflict widens]()
UK faces cost of balancing defensive capabilities abroad as Iran conflict widens
The UK has recently deployed a Type 45 destroyer to Cyprus and has bolstered its presence in the Middle East in recent weeks with supporting air power to protect neighbouring countries’ air defences.
-
![India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict]()
India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict
The latest escalation between Iran and Israel could shape New Delhi’s next-generation shield as India deepens cooperation with Israel on missile defence and drone production.
-
![Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?]()
Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?
The Pentagon spent a considerable number of THAAD and SM-3 rounds to defend against Iranian missiles in 2025 and has not fully replenished its reserves.
-
![New Zealand buys tri-service uncrewed kit from Syos Aerospace]()
New Zealand buys tri-service uncrewed kit from Syos Aerospace
As uncrewed technology continues to play an increasingly central role in modern military activities, New Zealand’s recent acquisitions point towards its the force’s focus on cost-effective capability.
