Russia to sign agreement with Cairo on use of Egyptian military airports
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev instructed the Russian Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry to hold negotiations with the Egyptian government and sign an agreement on “the procedure for using the airspace and airport infrastructure of Russia and Egypt”. The text of the agreement preliminarily approved by the governments of both countries was published on November 30 on the official legal information portal.
The agreement will permit military planes to utilize the airspace of both countries for flights, in accordance with the legislation of each party. It does not extend to airborne early warning and control aircraft or aircraft carrying dangerous cargo. On an annual basis the parties will exchange lists of airports (military and co-location) that can be used. The agreement is valid for five years, with the option of extension.
According to the agreement, applications for flights, the use of the other state’s military navigation systems, parking and protection of aircraft will be free of charge. However, the country directing military flights into the other’s territory will have to pay for aviation fuel, lubricants, equipment maintenance, as well as food and accommodation for the crew.
The draft agreement with Egypt was published after Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu’s visit to Cairo, where he held negotiations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on November 29. The Egyptian president told the Russian minister that he wants to increase Egypt’s military and technological collaboration with Russia.
Egypt’s airspace and airport infrastructure may be needed by the Russian Aerospace Forces as an “advance airfield” to carry out operations in Syria, Vladimir Fitin, head of the Near and Middle East Center of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, told RIA Novosti. “If new flights of our aircraft directly from Russia are needed, it is very important to have the option of using airport structures in Egypt,” Fitin observed.
In August 2016, Russian military aircraft covertly used the Iranian airbase in Hamadan for the same purpose. However, when evidence of this turned up in the media, the Iranian authorities decided to terminate the cooperation.