Russian-made Kamov Ka-52 and AH-64D Apache attack helicopters of Egyptian Air Force were spotted during Egyptian Naval Forces amphibious landing exercises in the Mediterranean on 11 December 2019.

The Scramble Magazine reported that Egyptian Air Force Ka-52 and AH-64D Apache helicopters were noted aboard the ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser (L1010), a Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) of the French Mistral class. Notably, both helicopter types were used on the LHD for the first time.

It should be reminded that in 2015 Egypt signed a contract with Rosoboronexport for the purchase of 46 Ka-52 combat helicopters, becoming the first foreign customer of this type of helicopter. Deliveries to Egypt of the export version of Ka-52 helicopters have been carried out since July 2017.

Also, negotiations are underway with Egypt on the sale of a batch of ship-borne Ka-52K helicopters to him based on two Egyptian Mistral UDCs.

In October 2015, Egypt signed an agreement with the French shipbuilding association DCNS (now the Naval Group) to acquire two Mistral-type universal landing ships built in France, originally for Russia. Russia’s supply of these ships built under the 2011 contract became impossible after the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions of the European Union in August 2014. The contract for the supply of these ships, which were maintained at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, was officially terminated by the Russian and French parties on August 5, 2015, and on August 23, 2015, an agreement was reached on the acquisition of both UDC by Egypt. The actual value of the contract for Egypt’s purchase of two UDCs amounted to 950 million euros, and it is believed that it was mainly financed by Saudi Arabia.

The first of the two ships L 1010 Gamal Abdel Nasser (ex Russian “Vladivostok”) was transferred to the Egyptian Navy in Saint-Nazaire on June 2, 2016 and arrived in Alexandria on June 23, 2016. The second ship L 1020 Anwar al-Sadat (ex Russian “Sevastopol”) was transferred to Egypt on September 16, 2016 and arrived in Alexandria on October 1, 2016.

As to Apache, In 1995, the Egyptian Air Force placed an order for 36 AH-64A helicopters. These Apaches were delivered with the same avionics as the U.S. fleet at that time, except for indigenous radio equipment. In 2000, Boeing announced an order to remanufacture Egypt’s existing Apache fleet to the AH-64D configuration, except for Longbow radar, which had been refused by the U.S. government. Egypt requested a further 12 AH-64D Block II Apaches with Longbow radars through a Foreign Military Sale in 2009.