Official Spokesperson of Armed Forces Tamer al-Refai stated on Tuesday that Egyptian-French naval forces carried out a joint exercise in the Red Sea as part of the continuation of the military cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces.
Refai added that the exercise witnessed the participation of Egypt’s newly-acquired French-made-helicopter carrier Mistral in addition to several Egyptian-French frigates and rocket launchers.
The exercise included firing with live ammunition, anti-terrorism training and enhancing maritime security. It was aimed to increase the skills of the participants and the combating efficiency of the two countries’ armed forces.
In recent years, Egypt has sought to diversify its military relationships, with an increasing number of arms deals having been made with countries such as France and Russia.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
