Egypt, US Prepare for Largest Military Exercise in Years

The commander of the US Central Command, General Michael Corolla, visited the Rafah border crossing in North Sinai on Friday during his visit to Egypt, where preparations for military exercises on the Egypt-Gaza border were discussed.

According to a statement issued by “CENTCOM”, General Corolla visited Egypt and met with the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, General Osama Askar, in Cairo, and the commander of the Second Field Army, Major General Staff War, Muhammad Rabea, at the Rafah border crossing in North Sinai. The trip focused on common security concerns, including border security and enhancing joint training, including the upcoming Bright Star maneuvers, and the opportunities available to strengthen the long-term military partnership between the United States and Egypt.

The statement further noted that “General Corolla expressed his gratitude to General Askar for Egypt’s ongoing leadership role in regional security issues and its role during recent non-combatant evacuation operations from Sudan”.

The statement noted that “the meeting discussed final preparations for the Bright Star maneuvers to be held next month, which will be the largest of their kind in years, and the commanders particularly focused on live fire and planning for the maneuvers that include more than 7,000 soldiers from 33 countries.”

General Corolla stated that “the evolution of the maneuvers is key to improving interoperability between the Central Command forces, the Egyptian armed forces, and all other participating regional forces.” He added that “Egyptian leadership plays a crucial role in regional security.”

The statement continued: “The leaders discussed ongoing efforts to improve security on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, with particular importance given to the Rafah border crossing.”

Regarding the American commander’s visit to the Rafah border crossing in North Sinai on Thursday, the statement said, “General Corolla met the commander of the Egyptian Second Field Army, visited several facilities at the crossing site, and went to the border crossing gate to discuss current capabilities and upcoming improvements.”

General Corolla noted that “the candid and constructive discussions we had with Egypt are a distinguishing feature of the strong relationship we have, and our shared desire for stability in the region is the basis of our mutual military support for over 30 years.”

The spokesman for the Egyptian army said in a statement on Thursday that the meeting between General Corolla and General Askar “covered a number of topics of mutual interest in light of the partnership relations and military cooperation between the Egyptian and American armed forces.”

He added: “The Chief of Staff of the Army expressed his pride in the solid relations linking the armed forces of both countries, affirming the General Command of the Armed Forces’ keenness to enhance the prospects for joint cooperation in various military and security fields.”