China’s J-16 fighter jets share skies with Rafales in Egypt

China’s J-16 fighter has arrived in the spotlight alongside French-made Rafales in Egypt, as Beijing and Cairo conduct their second Eagles of Civilization air exercise.

The pairing comes after China’s J-10C fighters drew intense attention over their reported performance during the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict.

The Egyptian Armed Forces said the joint exercise began on August 22 and will run for several days across multiple air bases.


Photos released by the military show the participating aircraft, including the J-16 and Rafale.

The drills are focused on putting the two countries’ air forces through common training rather than staging a direct comparison between aircraft.

Also Read: Beyond the 'bling', China aims for deterrence in military show

The opening phase includes theoretical and practical lectures aimed at aligning combat concepts, followed by joint sorties and training in planning and managing joint air-combat operations, the Egyptian Armed Forces said.

From J-10 scrutiny to J-16

The J-16’s deployment to Egypt comes against the backdrop of last year’s India-Pakistan conflict, which put China’s J-10C fighter under scrutiny. Pakistan said its J-10Cs had shot down multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafales.

India acknowledged aircraft losses during the fighting but rejected Pakistan’s account of the scale of those losses. Defence Secretary RK Singh also dismissed reports that Rafales had been shot down, saying, “You have used the term Rafales in the plural, I can assure you that is absolutely not correct.”

India later said its forces had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one large military aircraft during the conflict, a claim Pakistan disputes.

Also Read: India shot down 5 Pakistani fighter jets, 1 military aircraft during Operation Sindoor, says IAF Chief

The fighter is operated by China's People's Liberation Army Air Force and is classified as a 4.5-generation aircraft. It is built by AVIC Shenyang and features modern avionics, advanced radar and electronic warfare systems.

What the Egypt drills are about

The Egyptian military has framed the exercise around cooperation and operational learning.

The participating forces are training to develop their ability to plan and manage joint air-combat operations while exchanging experience. The exercise is part of Egypt's wider joint-training programme with friendly and partner countries.

This exercise is part of the joint training plan of the Egyptian Armed Forces with their counterparts from brotherly and friendly nations, supporting and strengthening cooperation in various military fields.