Egypt is arming itself with “Meteor”... Israeli concern about Paris supplying Cairo with air-to-air missiles that constitute a challenge to the F35
In a strategic development that affects the balance of air power in the Middle East, Israeli reports revealed that France is supplying Egypt with advanced Meteor missiles.
The Israeli "Natsiv Net" platform reported that a photo of a Meteor missile under the wing of a Rafale plane bearing Egyptian Air Force insignia raises serious questions about whether France agreed to supply Cairo with this missile, which Israel requested not to supply in order to preserve its air superiority.
The Hebrew platform added that the issue of Egypt obtaining Meteor missiles for its Rafale aircraft remains a subject of controversy and conflicting reports in recent years, noting that the current picture, updated until May 2026, carries important strategic implications.
The platform said that Israel expressed its concern that the Meteor missiles reduce the advantage of the Israeli F-15 and F-16 aircraft, and even pose a particular challenge to the F-35 Adir aircraft, given that the missile was designed to deal with targets with a low radar signature.
The Hebrew platform added that Egypt's purchase of Meteor missiles from France bypasses American restrictions, which for years refused to sell advanced AMRAAM missiles to Egypt to protect Israel, giving Cairo capabilities that were previously prohibited to it.
The platform said that Israel expressed its concern that the Meteor missiles reduce the advantage of the Israeli F-15 and F-16 aircraft, and even pose a particular challenge to the F-35 Adir aircraft, given that the missile was designed to deal with targets with a low radar signature.
The Hebrew platform added that Egypt's purchase of Meteor missiles from France bypasses American restrictions, which for years refused to sell advanced AMRAAM missiles to Egypt to protect Israel, giving Cairo capabilities that were previously prohibited to it.
It pointed out that the official answer to whether France supplied Egypt with these missiles is still complex, but there is growing evidence that the answer is yes, at least for the most recent deals, as France had previously refused to supply Egypt with Meteor missiles due to heavy Israeli pressure to maintain the “qualitative advantage.” However, reports since 2021 indicated that Egypt had stipulated obtaining this missile in exchange for purchasing 30 additional Rafale aircraft, so Paris agreed to that.
The platform said that in July 2025, it was published that the Egyptian presidency announced an arms deal that included Meteor missiles as part of its modern combat aircraft arsenal, and since late 2024 and during 2025, Egypt began receiving Rafale aircraft of the improved F3R model, equipped with full integration with Meteor missiles.
The Hebrew platform added that some sources indicated that the missiles themselves were included in the delivery packages that were transported, while pictures of Egyptian Rafale aircraft armed with missiles or training missiles were published on social media platforms and international security websites, which reinforced the assessment that political obstacles had been lifted.
She pointed out that providing Egypt with Meteor missiles represents an important change in the balance of air power in the region, as Meteor is one of the most advanced air-to-air missiles in the world, and thanks to its reciprocating jet engine, it is able to maintain a high speed throughout the flight and hit targets at a range of more than 100 kilometers.
She pointed out that this step pushes other countries in the region, such as Turkey or Greece, to try to obtain similar armament in order not to fall behind, explaining that France appears to have agreed to supply Egypt with the missile despite previous Israeli reservations, as part of strengthening strategic and economic relations with Cairo.
The platform said that this step symbolizes a certain erosion in Israel's ability to prevent friendly Arab countries from obtaining first-class military technologies, as the French-European Meteor missile and the American F-120D AMRAAM missile, which forms the backbone of the Israeli Air Force, are the focus of an important comparison.
The Hebrew platform added that the Meteor engine relies on reciprocating jet technology, which allows continuous propulsion throughout the flight, while the AMRAAM relies on a solid rocket engine that provides strong acceleration at the beginning, but turns into a glider after about 10 seconds.
She pointed out that the official range of the Meteor is more than 100 kilometers, with estimates reaching 200 kilometres, while the range of the AMRAAM ranges between 160 and 180 kilometers in use against large targets. Both missiles reach a maximum speed of more than Mach 4, but the Meteor maintains its speed until impact, while the AMRAAM’s speed decreases the farther it gets from the plane.
The platform said that the no-escape zone of the Meteor is three times larger than that of the AMRAAM, and thanks to the continuous engine, it can maneuver strongly even over long ranges, while the no-escape zone of the AMRAAM is relatively smaller in the long range as the missile loses energy and avoids it become easier.
وأضافت المنصة العبرية أن ديناميكية طيران ميتيور تحافظ على قدرة مناورة عالية في المرحلة النهائية من الاعتراض، بينما يكون أمرام سريعا جدا على المدى القصير والمتوسط لكنه أقل فعالية في اعتراض أهداف مناورَة على المدى الأقصى.
These developments come within the framework of Egypt's endeavor to modernize its military arsenal and enhance its defense capabilities in light of rapid regional transformations, as Cairo's partnerships with Paris represent part of a strategy to diversify arms sources and reduce dependence on one source.
Meteor missiles are among the latest European technologies in the field of air defense, and their ability to reach long-range targets gives Egypt a strategic advantage in protecting its airspace.
On the other hand, Israel closely monitors any transfer of advanced technologies to countries in the region, in order to preserve what it describes as its qualitative advantage, which puts France before a delicate equation between its economic interests with Egypt and its security obligations with Tel Aviv.
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