Israeli concern about the Egyptian army’s use of Chinese artificial intelligence systems

Arab Defense Website - February 11, 2026:
The balance of power in the region is no longer measured by the number of tanks or aircraft. A recent Israeli report indicates that the most serious challenge facing Israel is no longer traditional military, but has become digital, algorithmic, and not easily measurable. The Israeli newspaper Maariv believes that the danger does not lie in the weapon itself, but in artificial intelligence, and specifically in Egypt’s increasing ability to develop systems supported by Chinese technology, where data is the fuel and the speed of learning is the weapon, while uncertainty has become a great pressure on the Israeli army.
According to the report, what confuses Israel is not the form of these systems, but rather their ability to continuously develop, based on Egypt’s complete control over the chain of data from its collection and analysis to decision-making, which means a shorter response time, less effective external pressure, and more resilient systems in the face of electronic warfare. Israel today faces unprecedented anxiety, because advanced systems outside the Western system are difficult to measure, imitate or disrupt by traditional means on which superiority has been built for decades. The most prominent message in the report is that “the era of multiple traditional military platforms is over, and future superiority will be for those who have advanced software, extensive data, and rapid decision-making.”
On the other hand, information indicates that Egypt is working on building an independent nervous system for artificial intelligence, away from Western software, while developing the Egyptian army into an independent digital force, capable of operating away from the eyes of observers. Cooperation with Chinese partners in developing the infrastructure for artificial intelligence and chips has contributed to strengthening its technological position, and making the Egyptian army an advanced digital force, capable of collecting data, analyzing it, and making military decisions within a few seconds. These capabilities make Israel a complex confrontation, because it can no longer rely on traditional military superiority to confront these regimes.
The Egyptian experience with conventional American weapons did not give it sufficient superiority, which prompted it to diversify its strategic partnerships away from Western eyes, while strengthening the independence of the Egyptian army in the digital field, in a way that protects national security. This shift worries the Israeli side, especially since Egyptian cyber developments and artificial intelligence depend on systems that are not linked to Western weapons, and thus are difficult for Israel to detect or disable.
Israeli reports confirm that any Egyptian digital threat supported by Chinese technology constitutes a strategic concern, especially since Israel has not yet developed algorithms capable of confronting this type of development, which increases the amount of uncertainty in the Israeli army. However, Israel remains keen to study all new technologies to ensure the ability to confront any potential threat, even though the current threat does not mean a direct dispute or hostile intent on the Egyptian side, but rather is a product of the nature of the digital and technological transformation.
On the other hand, the relationship between Egypt and China in the military and technical field is considered very advanced, as cooperation has contributed to the production of local drone systems with high capabilities, with the development of advanced models of drones that collect information and carry out reconnaissance and surveillance missions, with a local production rate of up to 85%, compared to a 15% Chinese contribution. This strengthens the independence of the Egyptian army, and puts it on the right path to becoming an independent digital force to be reckoned with in the region.
On the other hand, Israel is closely monitoring this transformation, realizing that cyber superiority and digital capabilities are no longer linked to traditional weapons alone, but rather to artificial intelligence, chips, and new technologies, which places future military superiority for those who possess the best data analysis systems and rapid decision-making.
The report and experts stressed that the transformations in the region require a reconsideration of traditional power measures, and that military superiority is no longer a matter of tanks and planes, but rather depends on a digital and cyber force capable of making decisions quickly and analyzing data efficiently, far from any external influence, which places Israel facing a challenge that it is not accustomed to facing in the past decades.