What will happen to those 200,old f16s will they be retired
Since this article says Egypt rejected the upgradation deal
The F-16 fleet entered service in 1982 in several batches. The initial batch was 42 F-16A/B BLOCK- 15, which were upgraded to F-16 BLOCK- 40. In 1988, Egypt received 40 F-16 BLOCK- 32. These two batches were upgraded to the F-16B LOCK- 40 level. Between 1992-1998, Egypt received 92 F-16 BLOCK- 40. Egypt contracted for 21 F-16 BLOCK- 40 and received them in 2000. In 2002, Egypt received 24 F-16 BLOCK- 40. The last deal Egypt contracted for was 20 F-16 BLOCK- 52, which Egypt received between 2012-2015. The narrative shows that the planes were received by Egypt within 33 years. The lifespan of the old planes was extended to 8,000 flight hours to 12,000 flight hours. Therefore, Egypt was supposed to start replacing the first batches of F-16A/B BLOCK- 15 starting in 2022, but they serve a limited number of additional years until 2030. In fact, Egypt wanted to develop 120 F-16 BLOCK- 40 aircraft, and after completing their development, develop 20 F-16 BLOCK- 52 aircraft. In general, the F-16 fighter will not be taken out of service until it is no longer suitable for operation. The aircraft can be converted after the completion of their technical renovation into UCAV aircraft. Currently, Egypt is moving in several directions. It continues to acquire additional numbers of Rafale aircraft. It uses the F-16 aircraft in CAS & ADVANCED TRAINER missions and buys J-10C/D aircraft to fill a gap, perhaps. 52-80 aircraft in total size and replacing the remaining F-16 fleet with the FC-31 aircraft, Egypt's eastern aircraft are considered open source aircraft. The Russians themselves, the MiG-29M/M2 avionics suite has an open architecture based on the MIL-STD-1553B multiplexing bus enabling integration of the onboard equipment and weapon systems of both Russian and foreign origins at customer request. That is, to integrate Egyptian and foreign munitions when needed, while the Americans restrict the French in the Rafale fighters, allowing the integration of munitions from other countries if the volume of requests is large because the French are aware that their munitions are expensive, which hinders the acquisition of their fighters in large numbers. The French allowed the integration of Indian and Russian munitions into the Rafale for this reason, as it is primarily economical and encourages the marketing of the aircraft internationally. Egypt has a history of using Chinese fighters and Chinese training aircraft, and they have great flexibility, even more than the docking, whether in developing aircraft or integrating Ammunition from other sources
Egypt has not completely closed the door to any development of the F-16 aircraft, perhaps through Greece, South Korea or Turkey, but also at a low cost. The main reason for the United States’ refusal to supply Egypt with fighters or advanced ammunition is due to their pre-prepared plans to ignite the Middle East and their intentions to expand Israel and use Ethiopia as a threat stick against Egypt. Egypt has known the American plans from the beginning and we deal with them completely, even if it seems that we are waiting for the Americans’ satisfaction, but in fact Egypt secures itself with multiple sources of armament internationally so that it is not under pressure from any country. Rather, it is previously known that Egypt will in any case reject any American weapons that would be restrictions on Egypt. Egypt’s continued acquisition of the C-130 and CH-47 aircraft is simply because the technical insurance for these aircraft is done locally, whether maintenance or some spare parts production, which makes American pressure to ban spare parts possible to overcome in various ways, while the fighters are more complicated and sensitive. Chinese deals are very important It represents a pressure on the French to be flexible in providing Egypt with more Rafale fighters at a good price as well, using locally manufactured components or even their final assembly, because when France finds competition, it provides better terms and offers so as not to lose. The same thing represented pressure on the Koreans that there is a Chinese alternative to the advanced training aircraft and an incentive for the Russians to provide a package of new weapons and technology so as not to lose the Egyptian defense market. It is worth noting that the American side feels the level of the Chinese threat in the international fighter market, so the Americans began to reduce the importance of the Egyptian contract that there are no buyers for Chinese fighters, although the J-10C aircraft will be sold to Algeria and Nigeria, unlike other countries that will make it spread internationally. Some imagine that fifth-generation fighters should dominate the battlefields, but the poor performance of the F-35 and F-22 fighters and the high maintenance requirements necessitated the presence of fourth-generation fighters with air weapons in large quantities due to their presence in the air for long periods and less maintenance requirements and lower operating costs. The Americans themselves want a new light fighter, as the F-35 The bomb of problems is not a bomb of solutions. The Israelis themselves, when they struck the port of Hodeidah with part of an F-35 aircraft, entered a deep and long maintenance phase. We do not see the Israeli interest in obtaining 50 new F-15IA fighters, a development of the traditional F-15 fighters, given the experience of dealing with F-35 fighters. This is not a justification or means that countries should abandon fifth-generation fighters, but rather the importance of having fighters that carry out many sorties smoothly and easily and with less maintenance than fourth-generation fighters.
