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’.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)]()
Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)
As militaries face an overwhelming flow of data, the challenge is shifting from collection to delivering fast, actionable insights that drive decision-making. Advances in AI and data integration are helping armed forces move beyond siloed systems to generate real-time intelligence across domains and allies.
-
![Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms]()
Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms
In a partnership with Emesent, Teledyne FLIR will equip its autonomous air, ground and detection systems with the Hovermap LiDAR payload in a move that highlights a broader market shift towards modular architectures, shared payloads and interoperability across platforms.
-
![US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors]()
US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes an impressive increase in the procurement of interceptors, with the number of the US Army’s PAC-3 MSE rounds expanding by 683%, the US Navy’s Standard Missile by 365% and the MDA’s SM-3 IIA by more than 1,000%.
-
![US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production]()
US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production
Global Military Products was selected by the US Army to operate the Quad Cities Cartridge Case Facility and ramp up the production of various calibre shell cases.
