Egypt's military hoisted the Egyptian flag Thursday on an advanced new warship it received from Russia at a ceremony by the Armed Forces, an army statement said. The Molniya RKA 32, which the army says is among the most advanced vessels in the Russian navy, was "granted by Russia to Egypt as part of mutual military cooperation between Cairo and Moscow." The ship visited the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria last August as it was part of a fleet taking part in the inauguration ceremony of the New Suez Canal. The vessel is equipped with multiple armament systems including surface-to-surface missiles, artillery as well as alarm and electronic warfare systems, the military said. "It is a new addition in the process of developing and modernising our naval forces," the statement added. Thursday's ceremony was attended by a Russian military delegation headed by the commander of Russia's Leningrad naval base. The Egyptian army said that an Egyptian technical team has received training in Russia to work on the unit. Last year, Russia and Egypt, once Cold War allies, held their first-ever joint naval exercise off the coast of Alexandria. The eight-day drills included supply and communication exercises, search operations, defence and firing exercises. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Egypt in February 2015 for talks with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, whom Putin has strongly backed, while al-Sisi visited Moscow three times since he came to office in mid-2014. source: Ahram Online
