As part of its plan to modernize its Navy, Egypt's naval activity has increased. This month Cairo has carried out naval exercises with France and Spain, and started preparing for exercises with Russia.
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Through these exercise with its partners to strengthen its strategic and military ties with these partners, and to improve tactical and operational experiences of the Egyptian navy which plays a significant role in the security and stability of the Mediterranean.
Sources have reported that the Egyptian military units sailed in the Mediterranean, and will cross the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara to reach the point of the exercises with the Russian Navy.
"The message is clear, understandable, and unambiguous, that relations between Egypt and Russia have reached the highest level in both military and strategic terms, and that the Egyptian military capabilities are large, strong and ready for deterrence, and their arms are long even outside the country's borders," said Major General Hamdi Bakhit, member of the Egyptian Parliament, to Al-Arabiya channel.
"Egyptian forces will arrive to the Black Sea via the international transit straits of Bosphorus and Dardanelles," he said. "In the course of the maneuvers, the sides will practice joint combat tasks according to advanced warfighting tactics," An Egyptian military expert, Maj. Gen. Gamal Mazlum told TASS.
On 8 October,the Press Service of the Southern Military District announced that "Bridge of friendship – 2020" naval naval exercise that will be carried out by the Russian and Egyptian navies in the Black Sea.
French and Egyptian naval forces conducted joint military drills in the Mediterranean on 1 October. The Egyptian FREMM frigate "Tayha Misr," the "209/1400" submarine, as well as the French "Latouche-Treville" submarine took part in theses exercise.
"The training [with the French Naval Forces ...] included a simulation of protecting a ship of special importance while crossing a dangerous area and training on the measures taken by warships of different countries to protect economic zones on the high seas. The training showed the efficiency of the Egyptian and French naval crews participating in the implementation of the tasks assigned to them," said the spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
On 10 October, Egyptian and Spanish naval forces on Saturday performed a passing exercise (PASSEX) in the Area of Responsibility of the Northern Fleet in the Mediterranean as part of the Egyptian army’s plan to strengthen military cooperation and share expertise with friendly countries. The Egyptian frigate Toshka and the Spanish frigate REINA SOFIA participated in the training.
"The PASSEX included several training activities, air defense exercise, and sailing in formations. The participating navy units showed mastery of skills, swift and precise deployment into formations within the fleet, in addition to training on signals and communications and naval helicopters exercises and exchanging landing," said the spokesperson of the Egyptian armed forces.
The Egyptian Navy is a significant regional power in the Middle East and North Africa. It is mainly responsible for the protection of more than 2,000 kilometers of coastline of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, defense of approaches to the Suez Canal, and support for army operations.
With the arrival of President Al-Sisi to office, he started a modernization plan of the Egyptian Armed Forces including the navy. This plan of modernizing the navy has so far included the development of infrastructure of the naval units as developing of the main maritime bases to contain a large number of Naval vessels and troops, dividing the navy forces into two combat fleets one in the Mediterranean and the other in the Red sea to make the navy work independently in the strategic directions and also to divide the modernization plan among the two fleets, as well as the acquisition of equipment and naval vessels.
