Egypt to conduct Naval drills With Russia in Black Sea

According to the official Russian news agency TASS, Egypt is set to participate in its first-ever joint naval drills with Russia in the Black Sea before the end of 2020.

To reach the Black Sea, Egypt’s vessels will pass through Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait. There have been tensions between the two countries since the late Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was ousted in 2013.

In the Russian city of Novorossiysk, delegations from the Russian and Egyptian navies ‘held a three-day conference on preparing and holding the joint exercise Bridge of Friendship —2020,’ TASS reported.

During the exercises, the navies, with the support of aircraft, will train to defend sea lanes against various threats.

The exercises will include manoeuvres to deploy troops and return supplies at sea and search suspicious ships. The navies will conduct training in all types of defense at sea, launching missiles and artillery using shipborne weapons.

TASS reported that the exercises aim to enhance naval cooperation in a way that serves security and stability at sea and to exchange experience in fighting various threats in busy shipping lanes.