Russia and Egypt to conduct joint naval exercises near the Suez Canal

The Russian Navy will participate in joint naval exercises with the Egyptian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.

A group of combat ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet, including the guided-missile cruiser Varyah and the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov, departed for the Egyptian port of Alexandria to participate in the joint exercise with the Egyptian Navy, said the ministry.

The Egyptian navy, on the other hand, will be represented by the frigate ENS Al-Qadeer.

The ministry further clarified that the Egyptian Navy will be represented by the frigate ENS Al-Qadeer during the exercises.

The exercises will be conducted to ensure that the two navies are able to communicate and cooperate in times of war or humanitarian assistance.

The navies will focus on mastering the techniques of coordinating combat between the fleets of different nations. The exercises will include elements of joint maneuvers, communication training and inspection actions.

Furthermore, calling the visit a “business visit,” the ministry said the warships will host representatives of the Egyptian Navy before engaging in various exercises with Cairo's own ships which will include “elements of joint maneuvers, conduct of communications and inspection training.

These exercises are part of a series of joint military exercises between the two countries intended to strengthen their relations, following the accession to power of President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi.

In November 2020, Russia and Egypt conducted their first joint naval exercises in the Black Sea to mark the 2020 Friendship Bridge program between the two countries.

This year's exercise will see both navies operating near the Suez Canal, the strategic maritime infrastructure that has linked global trade since its completion in 1869.

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