is that an old graph…?!
where is the scalpe EG…?!
Actually it shows the very first stage of the SCALP EG set of cruise missiles in the Apache. Take a look at the Air to Ground munitions, my bro, and you'll see the 3 spots in the original Rafale capable of carrying the Apache which then I suppose morphed into the Storm Shadow and the US stuck its usual finger nails and nose into the whole thing and slowly slowly MBDA was able to pull away and eventually come out with the "US-component-free- all MBDA Francais SCALP EG."
It is pointless why is this talked about so much.
With all due respect, Battlion25, saying something like you just did completely undermines one's possible understanding of not only the current volatility of the situation -- vis a vis CAATSA -- and its implications on the Egyptian military as a result of this deal, but the entire history of the US' involvement in the Egyptian military and how much of a hegemony it has on it. The historical background, the fact they're using it to its fullest as Blinkin requested a meeting with our foreign minister (Shoukry) SPECIFICALLY on maintaining CAATSA within the framework of the supposed "agreed upon" matter when it came to the Su-35SEs. And they had the meeting about a month ago we posted about it and guess what? We never heard one iota of the result and you know what? As an Egyptian, that pisses me off to no end!!!!
Why does it PISS ME OFF to no end? Because this was EXACTLY the reason the Egyptian Armed Forces made all those previous purchases, based on the concept of eventually having not only the diplomatic and economic strength, capability and most importantly, the wherewithal to give the US the middle finger and say NOPE, sorry, we are going to purchase what we deem is necessary for the EAF and will not be subjected to any more outside influences specifically from the United States! We all applauded that right here on this forum and all other forms of media outlets spoke of it etc. They promised us relief from these specific issues that have plagued, consumed and crippled the Egyptian Armed Forces since prior to the Soviet/US conversion of early 1980s.
Let's see, they went out and bought:
- 50 Ka-52K attack hellos from Russia
- 46 MiG 29M/M2 fighter jets which introduced all the latest Russian BVR air to air missiles. That was more of a hit on the fleet of F-16s
- S-300VM although there are several reports out there that every one of those batteries has been put in storage because of not only CAATSA, but because the land-grabbing thieves to the north of us have nothing close to that to protect themselves. So they made MANY stinky complaints about Egypt's possession of those missiles and there is a strong possibility that they are in a major storage complex. If there is any truth to that (and there is quite a bit to support it I hate to break it to all my brothers.......) then I can only tell you this issue, with or without CAATSA has much larger consequences that have come back to bite the EAF in MANY more ways than one. This is A LOT more dangerous than any of you here seem to want to accept which baffles me when all I'm getting is "oh the Su-35 contract was signed on such and such date" and the other is "why are we talking about CAATSA?" Fellas, please wake up and smell reality!!! Something very bad has happened and all of you have chosen nothing but to stick your heads under the pillow for now in hopes it passes.
Interesting how we're hearing so much about the German IRIST-T-SL and all associated systems recently, isn't it?
So, I could get into a lot more but suffice it to say, there are AT LEAST 22 Sukhoi 35SEs that have reached final testing and have been photographed in Russia just floating around with nowhere to go. Not a single statement from the Ruskies, but more importantly, what we were told by this great military that there will no longer be any influence from the US as to what it can purchase or not and yet all we have seen so far is NOTHING! That, sir, is cowardice! Now I already said this before and you can go back to 2016 when I joined this forum (I'm actually 55 YO and have been around a long time cheering and critiquing the actions of this military) and when they do something good, we have nothing but praise and applaud them. But when they display nothing but this ineptitude in front of the entire world, it's despicable, degrading and insulting and older guys like myself who've been around for a lot longer than you younglings have had it!
That is why it's important to come out here and be honest, not hide behind the transparent veil of diplomatically and politically FAILED strength the EAF has shamelessly displayed. They've done nothing but show us that exact ineptitude we've feared they've not been able to shake off after promising us that is what they'll be doing! in that case, it's DESPICABLE and I will always be here to call them out when they screw it up. They pull it off, they get praise. They suck at it, they get criticized until the cows come home. So yes, we will talk about CAATSA and how OUR Egyptian Military is doing NOTHING to avert looking like an incapable doormat and frankly, an embarrassment in what they promised all of us that they were doing everything in the opposite to show the US that it will not be dependent on what it says and who and what Egypt can buy from, yet it has slipped right back under the door gap to that despicable behavior we were promised it would never do it again. At least I am honest with myself and telling everyone who reads this the truth about what I see. I'm not trying to hide behind any glimpse of possibility that the EAF doesn't care what the US has to say about this LOL! Every single thing points to the exact opposite and frankly, it SUCKS!
I hope I'm wrong and even if I am, the way they've bungled this whole ordeal they deserve nothing but to be told where to go anyway! And that is to HELL! Simply for the way they've displayed that childish behavior like in the past 35 years and using the same tactic to get that result is nothing short of a disgrace. As Egyptians, we should stand up and call them out for their devious actions and NOT cover for them. The latter is even much worst.
PS. It doesn't matter one bit in our case what India does with the way it handles CAATSA. The two situations couldn't be more different and with much more different implications to one another.
The problem is VERY SEVERE for Egypt in that the entire portion of the Egyptian military that is completely dependent on US spare parts and availabilities or certain items along with user agreements and much much much more are MUCH MORE involved in the Egyptian military than in the Indian one.
The EAF has already been threatened that the entire fleet of F-16s will be ceased of spares and other things, the entire M1A1 fleet of tanks, all US-built armor and tactical armor will cease to have critical support (and that's just the initial portion of it) and there is much more that will go into effect. Does India have anything close to that?!?!?! Nope. So we knew easily that threat would come a year ago unless one is just hiding in the bushes and is completely unaware of the US' strength in crippling Egypt's US-bough military equipment and so to think the EAF didn't know the US would do that with this jackass of an administration? Is even much more embarrassing.
If anyone wants to tell me the EAF banked on the douchebag Trump's super promises like the F-35 LMFAO and many more phony baloney promises and that they would be carried and supported by Biden.........is much more delusional than I thought in the first place.
On a much less depressing note......
@Foinikas , great pic of Helenic SOF and because they're tough guys, they get their faces covered!
While the other fellas are EAF Helo pilots. Great pic.
