Russia signed a deal with Egypt Friday to supply the latter with “President-S” Onboard Defence Systems (ODS) to protect Egypt’s aviation from antiaircraft missile systems and air-launched missiles.
The deal was announced during a press conference Friday with Russian first deputy director of Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET) Igor Nasenkov. “There is a contract and we are working within this contract. The deliveries will start in the imminent future,” he said during the press conference.
Egyptian brigadier and strategic expert Amre Refaat told Daily News Egypt this deal is of importance to Egypt since it is a part of the development process Egypt has been working on for a while.
Egypt is trying to combat terrorism through many means, one of which is arming and developing its fighters and aircrafts to better counter terrorism attacks. “Our enemy is not just Israel and the Zionist entity, it has been extended beyond that since we have many enemies that aim to destroy Egypt,” Refaat said.
This deal and the one with France for the Rafale jets deliveries to Egypt are significant deals for its national security. The ODS system is different and includes a number of important features and could easily detect any threats, according to Refaat.
“The ODS deliveries are part of Egypt’s deterrent policy to show the world how it is capable of developing its systems to fight any threat,” Refaat said.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi has been strengthening relations with Russia with his counterpart Vladimir Putin.
“The new deal is a great indicator of the strong ties between both countries, and Russia knows that Egypt is a friend,” Refaat said.
The ODS includes units that can be used as essential choices depending on the type and the purpose of the aircraft or the fighter jet. Its components include a control device, a radar warning receiver station, a laser and missile attack warning station, a laser optical-electronic suppression station, consumables, settings of active radio-interference stations, and an air dispenser for aircraft consumables for waste cartridges, cartridges of infrared radiations, single use cartridges with transmitters, and interference.
The ODS system has other features, such as being able to detect any attack from the antiaircraft missile and fighter jets. It can demolish the visuals of homing missiles and antiaircraft missiles including the homing defence missile systems and also warheads of man-portable air.
KRET is considered Russia’s largest radio-electronics company. Founded in 2009 as a subsidiary of Russia’s state technologies corporation Rostec, it includes more than 96 individual business entities.