The ministry’s department head of ideological work Alexander Ivanov shared his suspicions on the national talk show, Po Suschestvu, during a discussion about potential targets for spies.

“Where do you think there were the most Pokémon at that time?” he asked before stating that the bulk of virtual Pokémon were present at the “territory of the 50th air base, where the runway is, where there is a lot of military aviation equipment.”

Pokémon GO relies on GPS tracking as it invites users to turn on location and use their phone camera to search their physical surroundings and collect virtual pocket monsters.

The mobile game was developed as a collaboration among Niantic Inc., Nintendo, and The Pokémon Company.

Privacy Concerns

Since the game’s release in 2016, several governments and individuals have been wary of the game’s data-gathering capabilities.

It requires uninterrupted use of user location and camera and “full access” to Google accounts on Apple devices, which garnered multiple data privacy concerns.

At the height of the game’s popularity, Indonesian State Intelligence Agency director Sutiyoso commented that the location-based mobile game poses national security risks, although security experts and analysts did not share this view.

Egypt, Kuwait, and other Middle Eastern governments echoed similar concerns and warned players to avoid sensitive sites.

The US also established procedures preventing civilians from trespassing onto military bases and preventing service members from entering restricted areas to catch Pokémons as these might expose confidential information.

In the year of its release, Russia asserted that the mobile game was a security risk, claiming that it was part of a CIA plot.

Niantic, the game’s software developer company, is headed by former Google Geo division executive John Hanke. 

Hanke was tangled up in conspiracy theories because his former company Keyhole (later acquired by Google) received funding from various sources, including the CIA’s venture capital arm, In-Q-Tel.

However, Niantic denied the allegations and informed The Register that the game “only accesses basic Google profile information (specifically, your User ID and email address) and no other Google account information is or has been accessed or collected.”

In 2022, the year Russia invaded Ukraine, Niantic shut down game operations in the Russian and Belarus markets.

“We stand with the global community in hoping for peace and a rapid resolution to the violence and suffering in Ukraine. Niantic’s games are no longer available for download in Russia and Belarus, and gameplay will also be suspended there shortly,” the company tweeted on March 11 of that year. 

The post Belarus Claims AR Game ‘Pokémon GO’ Spied on its Military Assets appeared first on The Defense Post.

Last year, the United States had made the release of part of this annual aid conditional on progress being made on respecting human rights in Egypt, a country where ruler Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been accused of suppressing dissent.

This year, however, the State Department said Egypt had made “progress” in certain areas of human rights. It also explicitly mentioned Cairo’s help in mediating between Israel and Palestinian armed group Hamas on the war in Gaza.

“This decision is important to advancing regional peace and Egypt’s specific and ongoing contributions to US national security priorities, particularly to finalize a ceasefire agreement for Gaza,” a State Department spokesman said.

The United States, Egypt, and Qatar are parties to the negotiations for the release of the hostages held by Hamas since its attack on Israel on October 7, and on the cessation of a subsequent Israeli military operation in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands.

The State Department spokesperson also spoke of Egypt’s role “in promoting a ceasefire in Sudan,” where a civil war has been raging for more than 16 months.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the budget allocation in a memo to Congress, as required by US law.

Washington regularly criticizes Egypt’s human rights record and has conditioned part of its annual military aid. Last year, Washington suspended around $95 million in aid on the grounds of human rights concerns.

Since 2022, Egyptian President Sisi has relaunched a “national dialogue” and released hundreds of political prisoners, but human rights activists say at least three times as many people have been arrested in the same period.

A key US ally, Egypt still holds tens of thousands of political prisoners, many of whom live in extremely harsh conditions, according to NGOs.

“In certifying that Egypt has fulfilled the conditions, the United States is acknowledging steps the Egyptians have already taken” on human rights, the State Department spokesperson said.

They cited draft legislation on judicial reforms and the release of more than 950 political prisoners since September 2023, among other steps.

The post US Releases $1.3 Billion in Military Aid to Egypt appeared first on The Defense Post.

The combat aircraft were flown at the Egypt International Air Show held from September 3 to 5 at El Alamein International Airport.

Cairo declined to upgrade its current air force fleet with fighters from the US and instead opted to procure the multi-role fourth-generation Chinese fighters.

The US-made F-16 model that the Egyptian Air Force received in the 1980s has limited capabilities — the fleet is outfitted with outdated avionics and AIM-7P Sparrow missiles — due to restrictions over US concerns about the country’s human rights violations and regional conflicts.

Meanwhile, the J-10C is equipped to fight against modern threats in air-to-air combat and strike missions with PL-10 short-range and PL-15 beyond-visual-range missiles, high maneuverability, and advanced avionics. 

Reports indicated that Egypt is diversifying its military suppliers to reduce reliance on the West, particularly the US. Following Pakistan’s purchase of the Chengdu J-10C in 2022, Egypt will be the second international customer. 

The move follows the trend of Middle Eastern and African countries seeking alternatives to Western economic and political dominance with restrictive conditions.

To access favorable funding and investment and align itself more closely with the Global South, Egypt recently joined the BRICS economic group of nations along with Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia.

The post Egypt to Replace US F-16s With China’s J-10C Fighter Jets: Report appeared first on The Defense Post.

Lockheed Martin announced Thursday that it had secured a deal with Cairo for the C-130J-30 variant at the Egypt International Airshow 2024.

According to the company, the acquisition will enhance the Egyptian Air Force’s tactical airlift capabilities, allowing it to better support missions across North Africa.

“Welcoming Egypt to the C-130J Super Hercules global fleet is an honor that truly represents the longstanding partnership between our two nations and with Lockheed Martin,” Lockheed VP Rod McLean said.

With this purchase, Egypt will become the 23rd foreign operator of the C-130J and the 7th in the Middle East/North Africa region.

Proven Capabilities

Lockheed’s C-130 is a powerful military transport aircraft equipped with four turboprop engines.

Its J-30 variant offers an impressive payload capacity of 44,000 pounds (19,958 kilograms), enough to carry up to 124 fully-equipped soldiers.

It boasts a maximum speed of 410 miles (659 kilometers) per hour and an operational range of 1,700 nautical miles (3,148 kilometers).

According to Lockheed, the “unmatched” capabilities of its Super Hercules fleet have made it an in-demand tactical airlifter with over 2,500 deliveries worldwide.

It has also reportedly surpassed more than three million flight hours across 63 nations.

“Always evolving, continually innovating, and ready for what’s next, the Super Hercules leads the charge by setting standards and shaping the future of tactical airlift missions,” the company stated.

The post Egypt to Join C-130J Super Hercules Global Operators With New Purchase appeared first on The Defense Post.

“Foreign volunteers” are being deployed in embattled Kharkiv Oblast to conduct hostilities, according to the report.

The move is reportedly part of Moscow’s strategy to induct mercenaries from countries with “difficult economic situations” to bolster its ground forces.

Before Egypt, the invading forces targeted Africans, Syrians, and Kazakhs in its recruitment drive.

A captured Nepali citizen also admitted to Ukrainian authorities in June that there may be more than 3,000 Nepalis who joined the Russian Army.

Recruitment Scheme

According to the Nepali prisoner of war (POW), Russia’s foreign recruits were promised high sign-on bonuses and allowances for a “job away from the frontline.”

They were also told they would receive three months of military training, which did not happen.

This recruitment scheme by Moscow has been made public multiple times, with bonuses reaching as high as 495,000 Russian rubles ($5,300) and a monthly salary of up to 190,000 rubles ($2,000).

Foreign recruits were also being enticed with health insurance and Russian passports for them and their families.

“The only reason (for joining) is to make money,” the POW told the Kyiv Independent. “If you get a job in the private sector (in Nepal), you will get a maximum of around $200 per month.”

Depleted Force

Reports of Egyptians on Ukrainian front lines come amid reports that Moscow’s frontline strength has been depleted due to Kyiv’s intensifying attacks.

Armed Forces of Ukraine commander Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk claimed that the invading forces lost nearly 8,220 personnel and 1,424 pieces of military equipment in the past week.

A separate UK Ministry of Defence intelligence report also said the Russian Army had sustained 70,000 casualties in the past two months.

The increase in losses was attributed to Moscow’s decision to open a new front in Kharkiv while maintaining pressure on the eastern and southern parts of the war-ravaged nation.

The post Russia Recruiting Egyptians to Fight in Ukraine: Report appeared first on The Defense Post.

“In recent days, our forces have taken operational control of the Philadelphi corridor,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised address, referring to the 14-kilometer (8.5-mile) buffer zone.

Israeli troops have “discovered around 20 tunnels in the Philadelphi area,” Hagari said, including a “sophisticated underground terrorist infrastructure east of Rafah, 1.5 kilometers long and around 100 meters from the Rafah crossing.”

Hagari said the corridor “was used by Hamas as an oxygen pipeline, through which it regularly transports weapons to the Gaza Strip.”

The seizure of the corridor comes weeks after Israeli forces took control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on May 7 as their ground assault on the far-southern Gaza city began.

The corridor had served as a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt, and Israeli troops patrolled it until 2005 when they were withdrawn as part of a broader disengagement from the Gaza Strip.

Tunnels that were used to smuggle goods including arms, cars, and exotic animals have been discovered underneath the corridor.

Palestinians have used tunnels to get around a blockade that Israel imposed when Hamas, designated a terror group by the United States and the European Union, came to power.

Egyptian authorities have previously flooded tunnels in an effort to end the trafficking.

Fighting raged in Rafah on Wednesday, residents and officials said, a day after Israeli tanks rolled into the center of the city.

The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,171 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

The post Israel Says Army Has ‘Operational Control’ of Key Egypt-Gaza Corridor appeared first on The Defense Post.

The Qatar-based head of Hamas’s political bureau will “hold discussions with Egyptian officials on the political situation and the situation in the field,” a statement said.

The delegation will also discuss “efforts to stop the aggression, provide relief to citizens and achieve the goals of our Palestinian people,” it added.

Despite a flurry of meetings with both Israeli and Hamas negotiators last week, Egyptian, Qatari, and US mediators made no headway in their efforts to pause more than four months of relentless fighting.

“The pattern in the last few days is not really very promising,” Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

In a statement on Saturday, Haniyeh renewed Hamas’ demands, even though some of them have been dismissed as “delusional” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The demands include a ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an end to Israel’s blockade of the territory, and safe shelter for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas in response to its unprecedented October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

Its retaliatory offensive has killed 29,195 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

The post Hamas Chief in Cairo for Gaza Truce Talks appeared first on The Defense Post.

Smotrich said during a Monday meeting of his Religious Zionism party that “the Egyptians bear considerable responsibility for October 7,” according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan.

The attack by Palestinian militants on that day resulted in the deaths of more that 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures, and triggered war which has raged for more than four months.

Israel’s relentless military offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip has killed at least 28,340 people, most of them women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Smotrich claimed that “much of Hamas’s armaments pass through Egypt,” which shares a border with Gaza and has been a key mediator in efforts to end the fighting.

In a statement, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said it was “unfortunate and disgraceful” for the Israeli minister to “continue releasing irresponsible and inflammatory statements.”

“Egypt fully controls its territory, and does not allow any party to involve Egypt’s name in failed attempts to justify its own shortcomings,” he said.

Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel and has long served as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Along with Qatar, it helped broker a week-long truce in November that saw the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and more aid deliveries into Gaza.

Israel’s offensive has pushed more than half of the besieged Gaza Strip’s 2.4 million people into vast tent cities in the southern city of Rafah on the Egyptian border.

Israel has begun to focus on Rafah as its most recent target, with worries of a looming Israeli ground incursion.

Israeli strikes pounded the city overnight, killing around 100 people, the health ministry said Monday, coinciding with an Israeli operation that freed two hostages.

Egypt’s Al-Qahera News network, which is linked to state intelligence, said Cairo is “closely following the situation” in Rafah, and “is ready to deal with every scenario.”

The foreign ministry spokesman said Smotrich’s remarks reflect “a ravenous hunger for killing and destruction, and sabotage of any attempt to contain the crisis in the Gaza Strip.”

The post Egypt Slams Israeli Minister’s Claim It Shares October 7 ‘Responsibility’ appeared first on The Defense Post.

According to an announcement by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Cairo requested an undisclosed number of vehicle chassis on top of its previous request for $41.9 million.

The original request included REV1-B rolling chassis typically used for 4×4 Humvee vehicles and upgraded 205-horsepower turbocharged engines.

Once finalized, the sale is expected to contribute to the modernization of Egypt’s light tactical vehicle fleet.

It will also help the African nation meet current and future threats while enhancing interoperability with the US and other allies.

AM General will serve as the principal contractor.

Potential Vehicle Procurement

Neither Egypt nor the US State Department disclosed the specific type of vehicle for which the requested chassis will be used.

Cairo does not operate any military vehicle produced by AM General, as it only uses the Sherpa 4×4 light utility vehicle from Arquus Defense, according to a report by Army Technology.

Procuring chassis typically for Humvees would only mean that the 4-man REV1-B rolling chassis could fit in Arquus’ vehicles or government plans to procure AM General’s light tactical vehicles.

The Indiana-based firm is known for manufacturing the combat-proven High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee.

The post US OKs Egypt’s Request for Additional Light Tactical Vehicle Chassis appeared first on The Defense Post.

FFG-909 is the third out of a series of four MEKO A-200 frigates to be handed over to Egypt, delivered only six months after its sister ship, ENS Al-Qahhar (FFG-905).

The new ship will be used mainly for special forces support, search and rescue, and humanitarian missions.

The last of Egypt’s MEKO A-200 ships, ENS Sajm Al-Jabbar (FFG-910), is set to enter service in 2024.

Al-Qadeer’s Components

Al-Qadeer has a displacement of 3,700 tons, a length of 121 meters (397 feet), and a width of 16.3 meters (53 feet). Its size allows it to house a complement of up to 120 personnel.

Its CODAG WARP propulsion system allows it to travel to speeds of up to 29 knots (33.4 miles/52 kilometers per hour), with a range of 7,200 nautical miles (8,300 miles/13,357 kilometers) at 16 knots (18 miles/29 kilometers per hour).

The ship’s armaments include an OTO Melara 127/64 gun assembly, MSI-Defence 30-mm cannons, Rheinmetall Defence MASS softkill decoy launchers, and four 20-mm guns.

Partners for Modernization

ThyssenKrupp internal communications head Stefan Ettwig shared that the company’s record time in delivering the new frigate underlines its dedication to helping the Egyptian Navy modernize its fleet.

“This achievement is a testament to our commitment to delivering excellent results while building strong partnerships,” he said.

Ettwig added that the fourth and final frigate will be completed in Alexandria Shipyard.

The post Egypt Receives Third MEKO A-200 Frigate appeared first on The Defense Post.