CHIEF OF STAFF of the Armed Forces Mahmoud Hegazi received Joseph Votel, commander of the United States Central Command, and his accompanying delegation visiting Egypt this week, reports Ahmed Eleiba. Hegazi and Votel discussed developments in the Middle East as well as regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and restore stability in the region. A host of joint military issues of mutual interests, such as the Bright Star 2017 joint drill, was also discussed. During the meeting, attended by a number of Egyptian Armed Forces commanders, Hegazi and Votel stressed the importance of furthering the Egypt-US strategic partnership and military cooperation. Votel said the Bright Star manoeuvres were imperative for exchanging military expertise and bringing stability to the region. Bright Star 2017 is a joint Egyptian-US military training held from 10-20 September, at the Mohamed Naguib military base. The drill includes activities such as executing a tactical, live-ammunition exercise for mechanical ground forces and armoured vehicles from both teams, in addition to aerial and naval drills from the Egyptian air and naval forces. On the sidelines, a seminar is being held to exchange strategic visions on how best to combat terrorism. The military manoeuvres of Bright Star 2017 aim to establish a state-of-the-art joint command centre to train on how to use technological tools to face different threats. Combating terrorism in inhabited areas is also on the training agenda. The Bright Star exercise reflects the high levels of strategic cooperation between Egypt and the US. The series of manoeuvres was initiated in 1981 and witnessed 12 rounds until 2009. A number of countries previously partook in the drills, whether as observers or with participating forces.
