China’s advanced J-16 fighter will train alongside France's Rafales in a rare opportunity to test its capabilities against a Western platform, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
The J-16 and the Dassault Rafale are taking part in this year’s Eagles of Civilization joint air exercise in Egypt, according to photos released by the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF).
Egypt and China launched the joint 'Eagles of Civilization 2026' air exercise at several air bases across Egypt on Saturday, August 22, 2026, with multirole fighter aircraft of various types taking part, Egypt's State Information Service stated.
Notably, the exercise marks the first time China's J-16 heavy fighter jets have travelled to Africa for the China-Egypt joint training. The second edition of the drills began Saturday and will last several days, the EAF said in a statement.
Eagles of Civilization 2026 is being held as part of the Egyptian Armed Forces’ joint training program with the militaries of partner countries and is intended to strengthen military cooperation between Egypt and China.
About China's J-16 fighter jets: ‘Aerial refueling took place en route to Egypt’
The J-16, a twin-seat multi-role fighter nicknamed the ‘Hidden Dragon’, regularly patrols along China’s east coast and potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, according to South China Morning Post.
The jet has previously featured in other overseas drills, including with Russia and Pakistan, but this is the first time it is taking part in an exercise with the Egyptian air force.
The J-16 and J-10 are 4.5-generation fighters operated by China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force, with modern avionics, advanced radar and electronic warfare systems.
According to Bloomberg, the J-16, built by AVIC Shenyang, is larger and heavier than the J-10, with twin engines and two seats, and is designed for longer-range missions. China sent J-10s to Eagles of Civilization in 2025.
During its inaugural joint exercise with the North African country last year, China deployed J-10C fighters, which are lighter, single-engine multi-role jets.
Song Zhongping, a Chinese military commentator and former PLA instructor, told SCMP that the journey to Egypt – the J-16’s longest-range deployment to date – would have been a “major test” for the pilots’ tactical and technical skills as well as the aircraft’s technical performance.
According to the report, the planes and aviators taking part in the Eagles of Civilisation 2026 exercise arrived at an Egyptian airbase on Friday morning after a 6,000km (3,700-mile) journey that took 9 hours and required mid-air refuelling, according to the People’s Liberation Army.
“A video attached to the PLA Air Force release, filmed through the window of a YY-20A aerial refueling aircraft, showed a Chinese J-16 fighter jet being refueled in mid-air. Another scene showed that the YY-20A hosted in-flight refueling for two J-16s at the same time. According to the release, the aerial refueling took place en route to Egypt,” Global Times reported.
Egypt is a US strategic partner whose military operates American F-16 fighters as well as CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters. It has maintained diplomatic relations with China for about seven decades, with ties deepening in recent years.
