As part of the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” exercises, which took place from April 19 to May 4, one of the Chinese Air Force’s new YY-20A aircraft refueled Egyptian MiG-29M/M2 fighter jets in flight for the first time. This was only a small portion of the extensive and varied operations carried out by the armed forces of both countries, aimed at strengthening their defense cooperation, which also included air combat simulations and search and rescue training in hostile environments.
It is worth noting that neither the Chinese nor the Egyptian Air Force have released significant details regarding the refueling operations, so it remains unknown whether the YY-20A performed a single refueling event or participated in multiple ones. The currently available information comes primarily from images shared via Chinese media and social networks, in which the presence of the aforementioned aircraft on Egyptian territory can be seen, along with photos of Egyptian MiG-29M/M2s being refueled in flight.
In particular, the MiG-29M/M2s appear to have used their PAZ-MK refueling pods, which were previously employed to refuel French-made Rafale jets from the Russian-designed aircraft during the Qader-2020 exercises. However, experts consider this system suboptimal for current fighters operating from land-based runways. Additionally, the published images suggest that the Egyptian fighters only used the YY-20A’s underwing refueling points, leaving the central point unused.
Furthermore, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) analysts were able to determine from images of the aircraft’s journey from China to Egypt that it belonged to the 4th Transport Division. These photos show the aircraft flying over the Karakoram region with its refueling hoses extended, accompanied by a group of J-10 fighters, indicating that the system also played a key role in enabling a one-leg long-distance deployment.
Overall, the exercise “marked the first time the PLA Air Force deployed such a force to Africa for this type of drill (…) (Editor’s note: enabling) systematic and rapid force projection in support of the agile deployment of air combat systems, providing valuable experience to deepen future combat-oriented training,” stated Li Bokuan, a spokesperson for the Chinese Air Force, in a brief statement to local media.
*Image credits to their respective owners.
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