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China’s military drills
ChinaDiplomacy
Chinese J-16 fighters arrive in Egypt ahead of Eagles of Civilisation 2026 joint drill
Multi-role PLA fighters travel 6,000km to take part in their first African deployment, refuelling in mid-air along the way
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Dewey Sim
Published: 8:00pm, 22 Aug 2026
A fleet of Chinese J-16 fighters has arrived in Egypt ahead of a joint <a href="https://healthylife7.com/this-exercise-habit-can-cut-your-risk-of-early-death-in-half/” title=”This Exercise Habit Can Cut Your Risk of Early Death in Half”>exercise that will be the aircraft’s first-ever deployment to Africa.
The planes and a arrived at an Egyptian airbase on Friday morning after a 6,000km (3,700-mile) journey that took nine hours and required the planes to refuel in mid-air, according to the People’s Liberation Army
It added that the service personnel involved in the exercise had started preparations for the joint exercise. The PLA has previously said the drills would finish early next month
The J-16, a twin-seat multi-role fighter nicknamed the Hidden Dragon, regularly patrols along China’s east coast and potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
The jet has previously featured in other overseas drills, including with Russia and Pakistan, but this is the first time it is taking part in an exercise with the Egyptian air force
During its inaugural joint exercise with the North African country last year, China deployed J-10C fighters, which are lighter, single-engine multi-role jets
The Chinese defence ministry said this year’s exercise would focus on air combat tactics and air superiority operations among other elements
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