Egypt's navy has carried out joint exercises with British and Italian naval forces in the Mediterranean, which is part of efforts by the Egyptian Armed Forces to further military cooperation with friendly countries. In a statement on Friday, Egypt's Armed Forces spokesman Tamer El-Refaie said that participating in the drills were a number of Egyptian naval vessels as well as multipurpose Italian frigate ITS Carabiniere and British auxiliary landing ship dock RFA Lyme Bay. The exercise included the formation of naval flotillas, underwater communication, the take-off and landing of jets on naval units, as well as boarding and searching naval vessels. The drills also covered fuel supply at sea and protecting naval units in dangerous zones. El-Refaie said that the participating forces displayed proficiency in coordination and understanding in executing the planned training missions. “Such exercises show the depth of military relations with friendly countries and the readiness of forces to confront different threats in the Mediterranean,” the statement said.