Egypt, Spain Conduct Joint Naval Drills in Red Sea

On Thursday, the Egyptian and Spanish naval forces conducted a second joint military exercise in two months in the Red Sea, with the participation of Egyptian frigates "Al-Naser" and "Abu Qir" and Spanish frigate "Santa Maria" according to the Army Spokesman Tamer Al-Refae.

In a statement, the spokesman said that the drills took place in the Southern Fleet’s zone, where Egypt and Spain conducted naval exercise earlier in June.

The joint exercise came as part of Egypt’s Army’s plan to boost military cooperation and expertise exchange with friendly countries.

[caption id="attachment_162464" align="aligncenter" width="552"] The Joint Naval Drills in the Red Sea[/caption]

The training reflected the high competitiveness and fighting capabilities, as well as the combating readiness of the Egyptian naval troops. It featured air defense drills against hostile aerial targets, along with maritime attack deterrence formations and a re-supply drill.

The naval exercise included carrying out many training activities to enhance the maritime security in the southern Red Sea area in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The training, the second of its type with the Spanish navy in a short period, aims to benefit from the Spanish capabilities in achieving mutual interests and promote military cooperation between Cairo and Madrid.

Several Arab and African countries participate in the exercise as observers.