Chinese, Egyptian air forces hold joint training in Egypt

BEIJING -- The Chinese Air Force dispatched aircraft such as J-10C, KJ-500 and YY-20 to participate in a recent joint training with its Egyptian counterpart at an Egyptian air force base, according to a Chinese defense spokesman on Thursday.

In response to a question from the media, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said the two countries' air forces held the first "Eagles of Civilization-2025" joint training from April 17 to May 4.

This was the first time that China sent force packages to Africa for joint training, Zhang said.

The two sides conducted drills on such subjects as air superiority operations, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), battlefield search and rescue, and mixed grouping, Zhang said, adding that discussions and exchanges on training models, air combat tactics and aerial refueling were also held.

Zhang said the joint training enhanced the technical and tactical competence of the participating troops, and deepened friendship, mutual trust, and practical cooperation between the two militaries, and it is also an effective test of the Chinese Air Force's capabilities in long-range force projection, agile deployment and systemic operations.