Israel Air Force Chief Comments on Egypt's Potential S-300 Acquisition

The chief of Israel's air force, Major-General Amir Eshel, minimized concerns about Egypt potentially obtaining the Antey-2500 missile system, an S-300 variant, valued at over a billion dollars. While no official confirmations from Egypt or Russia have been made, the acquisition poses a strategic challenge for Israel's air force, particularly as Russia is also negotiating a similar deal with Iran.

Though Israel has a cold peace with Egypt since 1979, recent security coordination against Islamist militants has increased. A U.S. official noted mixed messages regarding military aid to Egypt, as Israel supports U.S. counterterrorism assistance but is wary of advanced systems like the S-300, which they argue are unrelated to counterterrorism efforts.