Egyptian and French naval forces carried out a transit naval training session in the northern fleet region of the Mediterranean Sea, Egyptian army spokesman Tamer El-Refaie said in a statement on Tuesday. Egypt's Taba frigate and France's Jean Bart frigate took part in the joint exercise. The exercise included training on various sailing formations and assessing surface, air, and submarine threats, and setting scenarios to deal with such threats. The training showed the joint naval units' capability to take their position with high speed and precision, El-Refaie said, adding that the Egyptian and French sides' high combat experience has been reflected in the exercise. The exercise also focused on means to deal with certain air threats, represented in confronting airstrikes carried out by Egyptian F-16 fighters. The training came within the framework of supporting cooperation between Egyptian and French armed forces, and benefiting from the capabilities they enjoy to achieve mutual interests, and back efforts of naval security and stability in the region, El-Refaie added. On October 1, Egyptian and French naval forces 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. 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.
