Egyptian and French naval forces have conducted an exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, with the participation of Egypt's FREMM frigate Tahya Misr and new Type-209/1400 submarine and the French frigate Latouche-Tréville. A statement by the official spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces said on Thursday that the naval drills come in light of the Armed Forces General Command's plan to raise the level of combat training and exchange expertise with the armed forces of Egypt's friendly countries. The exercise included many different training activities, such as securing and protecting an important area against the threat of submarines at night, electronic warfare training, in addition to training for responding to and deterring asymmetrical threats. It also involved training on various sailing formations, and conducting signal transportation exercises. The drills come in light of endeavours meant to boost Egypt-France military cooperation, in a way that contributes to honing combat and operational skills for the two countries' armed forces. They also support efforts that aim to maintain maritime security, stability and peace in the Mediterranean region. Thursday's joint drills were the third between Egypt and France in 2019 as they conducted naval drills earlier in February and July.
