In September 2025, an area on the Sinai Peninsula border that has never been so concerned suddenly became the focus of the global media. Egypt fully armed deployed the Red Flag-9B air defense system made by China here, radar opened, directly forced the Israeli F-35 fighter aircraft to emergency change, it was not an exercise, nor an accident, but a well-organized "hard clash".
20 September ，Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu quickly called for help from the United States and asked the White House to stop Egypt’s military clashes. The Israeli media cried out “breaking the treaty”, but Egypt did not give in. Both sides spoke, sword and sword.
Things are developing so fast that people can't help but ask: Why is Egypt suddenly "tough" this time? Why did you choose to put the Chinese-made Hongqi-9B on the table at this point in time? Sinai wasn't the first time in the spotlight, but this time, the atmosphere was different.
The Hongqi-9B system activated its radar in mid-September, and the first thing it locked was the direction of the air base in southern Israel.Israel's invisible F-35 fighter aircraft were forced to circumvent and the fighter's route was rewritten, which was a small blow for Israel, which had always relied on air superiority.
Egypt's deployment of this time is not "symbolic" action, but a practical system operational configuration. radar can detect targets 300 kilometers away, the missile range is more than 200 kilometers, the resistance to interference is very strong, and the entire system does not rely on the American command chain, will not be "remote control" or "silent failure".
On September 20, the Israeli Times publicly that Netanyahu had formally negotiated with the United States to demand that the United States put pressure on Egypt and accused Egypt of violating the 1979 Egyptian Peace Treaty.
The 1979 Treaty of Peace clearly stipulates that most of the Sinai Peninsula is a “de-military zone”, with Egyptian troops not exceeding 1,500 and heavy weapons prohibited, but now Egypt has 40,000 troops in Sinai, fighter runways, underground missile warehouses, heavy weapons “a few”.
More importantly, this military deployment is not sneaky, but fair and square in front of the international media. Egyptian President Sisi made a rare public statement in Doha, directly calling Israel an "enemy", which has never happened in the past 46 years.
Egypt has no longer chosen silence or compromise, but directly responded to years of unhappiness with “air defense missiles + voice power.”
There have been signs of this "weather change". In July 2025, Egyptian Major General Farag revealed in a TV interview that the Hongqi-9B system had been deployed. Just three days later, the Arab Defense website disclosed that the system had entered actual combat status, and the shooting control range covered a large area including the Israeli air base.
At the same time, China and Egypt launched a joint military exercise called "Eagle of Civilization-2025". China has sent various types of main equipment such as J-10C, Yunyou-20, and Kongjing-500 to teach Egypt how to conduct multi-service coordinated operations step by step. Just after the exercise, Hongqi-9B quietly arrived in Sinai. It all worked seamlessly together.
Egypt doesn't trust the United States, and it's not a matter of a day or two. The Egyptian Air Force, which has more than 200 F-16 fighters, can only be equipped with short-range missiles, and its strike range is artificially limited to 70 kilometers.
The record of U.S. equipment "down the chain" at the critical moment, also made Egypt completely frightened. On September 9, 2025, the Israeli airstrike into the capital of Qatar, Doha, the "Sad" and "Patriot" systems deployed in Qatar was only 10 minutes after "wake up", not even blocked. U.S. air defense system is suspected of "backdoor" existence, is no longer a secret.
Egypt has long wanted to get rid of this unequal military relationship. The purchase of S-400 from Russia was sanctioned by the United States, and the application for Patriot from the United States was rejected. Turning to China, there are neither political conditions attached nor worries about the "disconnection" of the system. More importantly, the equipment made in China has outstanding actual combat performance and flexible cooperation methods, which just meets the strategic needs of Egypt's "independent defense".
The arrival of Hongqi-9B is not only military significance, but also a political declaration. Israeli F-35 fighter jets now take off again and have to bypass the radar field of vision of Hongqi-9B. In the past, the era of "free flight" of random air strikes against neighboring countries and cross-border strikes is slowly coming to an end.
Ironically, Israel had just completed a “trans-five-country” airstrike, with 15 F-15s crossing the airspace of several countries and eventually launching to Qatar. The process was incredibly smooth, and Qatar’s entire air defense system seemed to be remotely shut down, with no response. This made Egypt fully aware: “The weapons of the West are not reliable at the critical moment.”
In this context, it is not surprising that Israel asked the United States for help. The Trump administration is promoting a $6.4 billion arms sales plan to Israel, including 30 Apache attack helicopters, 3,250 infantry fighting vehicles and 200 Jadam precision bombs. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio paid an emergency visit to Israel in mid-September. On the surface, it was "mediation", but in fact it was increased support.
During the talks, Netanyahu expressed strong dissatisfaction with Egypt's deployment to him. The United States responded to this with "soft criticism + hard support", saying that it wanted to maintain peace in the Middle East while continuing to load Israel.
This makes it clear to Egypt that the so-called “neutrality” of Western nations is just a gesture. The head of the Egyptian news agency said straight: “Friends will not threaten your national security.”
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Joint Defense Agreement, the Pakistani Air Force's J-10CE fighter aircraft entered the Saudi airspace for exercises, and the first large-scale Chinese fighter aircraft appeared in the Middle East.
The deployment of Hongqi-9B in the Sinai Peninsula is actually just a microcosm of this trend. Chinese products are no longer just buying and selling relationships, but partners and reliable strategic resources. Israel's anxiety has already been written on its face.
From social media to diplomatic occasions, Netanyahu constantly tries to create "external threats" to divert domestic pressure. He even accused China and Qatar of "going to war" on the Internet and using AI and robot public opinion manipulation to damage Israel's image. This statement not only lacks basis, but also has no strength to fight back by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying that "I am in a hurry to go to the doctor".
China’s position has always been clear: respect for Israel’s security, but Palestine’s survival and the right to establish a state should also be achieved.
Under the sandstone of the Sinai Peninsula, not only missiles and tanks, but also strategic choices are turning. Egypt is no longer the country that relies on U.S. security protection. Today, they use the Red Flag-9B to tell the world that if security cannot depend on others, it is on their own. This sudden "changing sky", although the focus is on missile radar, is indeed a major adjustment of the Middle East strategic chart.
If Israel wants to continue to rely on the American umbrella, it must face a reality: this umbrella has begun to leak. The pattern of the Middle East is quietly changing, and the changes in Sinai are just the prelude. When missiles and radar redefine boundaries and rules, the real game has just begun.。
In this transformation, China has gained more and more trust by providing effective support without involvement and without interference.In the future, how the Middle East region will fall, the wisdom and choice of countries will be considered.
Source of information:
Egyptian military rally on Sinai Peninsula, Israel demands U.S. pressure on Egypt
2025-09-21 14:05 · Global Network