Egypt Negotiating with France for Arms Sales, Arms Construction Deals

Egyptian Defense Minister Abdel Ghani Ghamassi is due to arrive here in a few days for negotiations on French arms sales to Egypt and on French participation in the construction of an Arab arms industry near Cairo.

French sources say Ghamassi will put the final touches to a contract providing for the sale of an unspecified number of F-1 Mirages to Egypt. The F-1 is the most modern version of the Mirage plane in service in the French air force.

Ghamassi, a former Egyptian Chief of Staff, is also expected to approve the contract providing for the sale of 120 Alpha jet trainers and ground support planes. The basis for this contract was laid last week by the Egyptian Air Force Chief of Staff, Marshal Mohammed Shaker Abdel-Monein. during a brief visit here. The Egyptian Defense Minister will meet in Paris with French Defense Minister Yvon Bourges; representatives of the manufacturers, “Dassault-Breguet,” and with top French officials.

Ghamassi is also expected to negotiate here for French participation in the joint Arab arms industry now being planned in Egypt. Egypt would like France to play an active role in this project supplying mainly technical know-how and expertise, but also money, qualified personnel and raw materials. Egypt is prepared to opt in exchange for the French “Mirage-2000” plane which will equip the French air force in the 1980s.

The Mirage-2000 is described as the equivalent of the MIG-25 and the American F-15 It is manufactured in France by the Mirage builders. “Dassault-Breguet,” Thomson-S.C.F. and Snecma, which builds the powerful M-53 engine. Egypt is also interested in this engine to replace those of the MIGs grounded by the Soviet Union’s refusal to provide spare parts and new engines.

CONSEQUENCE OF RIFT WITH USSR

Ghamassi, French sources say, is also expected to negotiate for additional French-made hell-copters. Egypt last year bought an unspecified number of “Gazelle” helicopters equipped with antitank missiles. The Egyptians are apparently highly satisfied with their performance and would like to buy additional models to bolster their infantry support.

French sources say Ghamassi’s visit here is the natural consequence of Egypt’s open rift with the Soviet Union. The French say Egypt will have to find new arms suppliers in the West if it is to maintain its new independence from Moscow’s domination. The competition with British aircraft manufacturers is expected to be tough but France hopes to cash in on its political prestige in pushing its arms sales in the Arab world.

These sources add that the French-made Atar-9 engine is better suited to equip the Egyptian Mirage planes than the “Spey” manufactured by Britain’s Rolls Royce. A first study undertaken by the British manufacturers has shown that adapting the “Spey” to the MIGs would be more expensive than buying new planes.