15 Aug 20. A source close to BATTLESPACE confirmed to BATTLESPACE tonight that the order we announced for F-16 tonight was not for F-21 for India as we stated as a possibility.
(See: BATTLESPACE ALERT Vol.22 ISSUE 13, 15 August 2020, Lockheed Lands Massive F-16 Order – Is It The F-21 For India?)
The source would only say that we would not be far wrong to suggest that the order might be two customers rather than one.
From Mike Gething’s research that would leave Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Taiwan
However, reports from AI Monitor suggest that Egypt is going for Russian jets as we report on Monday in BATTLESPACE Update.
03 Aug 20. Egypt Acquires Russian Fighter Jets Despite US Warning. Russia Today quoted military sources July 27 as saying that the Egyptian army will acquire the Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet, a first for Egypt, after photos emerged of five of them heading to Egypt. Neither the Russian nor the Egyptian side has so far made any official comments on the alleged acquisition, while the United States objects to any such deals. According to Russia Today, “The sources indicated that these heavy and long-range fighter jets would give the Egyptian army superiority in the regional sky, which is why the US strongly objected.”
Russia’s Top War website, which focuses on defense affairs, reported July 23 that the first batch of Su-35 fighters took off from the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant and headed to the European side of Russia, from where they will be delivered to Egypt.
The report read, “Photos of the first five Su-35 fighters built for the Egyptian Air Force appeared on the web, which made a stopover at Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport during a flight to the European part of Russia. As can be seen from the photographs, there are no identification marks on the planes, but the tail numbers on the keels are marked from 9210 to 9214.”
On March 18, 2019, the Egyptian Air Force inked a $2bn deal to buy 24 Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets, including related equipment, according to Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS). (Source: defense-aerospace.com/Al Monitor)
So by the laws of averages that leaves Taiwan and Saudi Arabia which might not be good news for BAE Systems which is still awaiting an order for 65 more Typhoon jets held up by German embargoes on arms sales to Saudi Arabia even though the UK embargo has been lifted.
We await developments with interest!