Egypt, Spain Conclude Joint Naval Exercise
The naval exercise was held in the framework of advancing the strategic and military partnership and cooperation between the two countries
Dr. Shaul Shay
| 23/06/2018
Egyptian and Spanish naval forces have carried out joint drills over the last week in Egypt’s territorial waters of the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The drills were part of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.
The Egyptian Navy sent to the drills its Mistral-class Landing Helicopter Dock, Anwar al-Sadat, the Gowind frigate, the German-made Submarine, the Zafer frigate, and the Suez-class missile corvette. The Spanish navy participated with the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos and the Blas de Lezo frigate.
A flotilla of speedboats joined the drills, which naval operations aimed at intercepting enemy vessels, as well as the provision of air support to operations.
The joint drills included a number of activities, including a sea defense exercise, in which various units dealt crippling blows to a simulated group of enemy ships and submarines before entering Egyptian territorial waters, as well as the safeguard of giant ships and tankers as they entered Egypt’s territorial waters whether by day or night. The drills incorporated a firing exercise with live ammunition during which Egyptian and Spanish speedboats destroyed moving and stationary targets. It also included the implementation of sea navigation and supply formations, inspecting suspected vessels, the search for and discovery of enemy submarines, and securing vessels carrying important cargo.
At the end of the exercise, the Spanish naval commander visited the Egyptian naval headquarters in Alexandria as well as the joint formations, accompanied by the Commander of the Egyptian Navy.
The 2015 MoU
Spanish Defense Minister, Pedro Morenes, accompanied by Defense Chief-of-Staff Gen. Adm. Fernando Garcia Sanchez, visited Egypt on May 5, 2015, to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in military cooperation with Egypt’s then-Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi.
This was the first agreement between the two countries since 1953. The MoU established bilateral relations between the two countries in the military sector, including the exchange of expertise and mutual training.
The agreement outlined the launching of a joint committee, which would meet biannually, to follow up on the latest developments of the cooperation in science and technology, defense, education, training, healthcare and military regulations.
Spanish-Egyptian Arms Deals
In 2010, the Egyptian air force acquired three C-295 military transport aircraft and later increased its order to 12. Over 90% of Spain’s military sales to Egypt, worth €50m in 2012, were of C-295s supplied by Airbus Military’s facilities at Seville’s San Pablo Airport.
Spain has continued to export military transport aircraft to Egypt despite a partial embargo imposed by the European Union on arms sales to Egypt after a military coup against the Muslim Brotherhood-led government of Mohamed Morsi.
Egypt has ordered eight more C-295 transport aircraft in a deal that brought its fleet to 20 and made it the biggest customer for the aircraft. The additional batch has been delivered to the Egyptian Air Force by Airbus Defense and Space in 2015. The contract also included a service support package for spares, training, and maintenance of the fleet.
Summary
Madrid and Cairo have nurtured close political, economic and military ties in recent years with both sides concerned by the Islamic terror and the ongoing political turmoil in MENA region.
The exercise reflects the depth and strength of the relations between the Egyptian and Spanish navies. The naval exercise was held in the framework of advancing the strategic and military partnership and cooperation between the two countries.
Egypt, over the past year, has held similar military exercises with a number of countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, the US, Russia, and France.
The naval exercise was held in the framework of advancing the strategic and military partnership and cooperation between the two countries
Egyptian and Spanish naval forces have carried out joint drills over the last week in Egypt’s territorial waters of the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The drills were part of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.
The Egyptian Navy sent to the drills its Mistral-class Landing Helicopter Dock, Anwar al-Sadat, the Gowind frigate, the German-made Submarine, the Zafer frigate, and the Suez-class missile corvette. The Spanish navy participated with the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos and the Blas de Lezo frigate.
A flotilla of speedboats joined the drills, which naval operations aimed at intercepting enemy vessels, as well as the provision of air support to operations.
The joint drills included a number of activities, including a sea defense exercise, in which various units dealt crippling blows to a simulated group of enemy ships and submarines before entering Egyptian territorial waters, as well as the safeguard of giant ships and tankers as they entered Egypt’s territorial waters whether by day or night. The drills incorporated a firing exercise with live ammunition during which Egyptian and Spanish speedboats destroyed moving and stationary targets. It also included the implementation of sea navigation and supply formations, inspecting suspected vessels, the search for and discovery of enemy submarines, and securing vessels carrying important cargo.
At the end of the exercise, the Spanish naval commander visited the Egyptian naval headquarters in Alexandria as well as the joint formations, accompanied by the Commander of the Egyptian Navy.
The 2015 MoU
Spanish Defense Minister, Pedro Morenes, accompanied by Defense Chief-of-Staff Gen. Adm. Fernando Garcia Sanchez, visited Egypt on May 5, 2015, to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in military cooperation with Egypt’s then-Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi.
This was the first agreement between the two countries since 1953. The MoU established bilateral relations between the two countries in the military sector, including the exchange of expertise and mutual training.
The agreement outlined the launching of a joint committee, which would meet biannually, to follow up on the latest developments of the cooperation in science and technology, defense, education, training, healthcare and military regulations.
Spanish-Egyptian Arms Deals
In 2010, the Egyptian air force acquired three C-295 military transport aircraft and later increased its order to 12. Over 90% of Spain’s military sales to Egypt, worth €50m in 2012, were of C-295s supplied by Airbus Military’s facilities at Seville’s San Pablo Airport.
Spain has continued to export military transport aircraft to Egypt despite a partial embargo imposed by the European Union on arms sales to Egypt after a military coup against the Muslim Brotherhood-led government of Mohamed Morsi.
Egypt has ordered eight more C-295 transport aircraft in a deal that brought its fleet to 20 and made it the biggest customer for the aircraft. The additional batch has been delivered to the Egyptian Air Force by Airbus Defense and Space in 2015. The contract also included a service support package for spares, training, and maintenance of the fleet.
Summary
Madrid and Cairo have nurtured close political, economic and military ties in recent years with both sides concerned by the Islamic terror and the ongoing political turmoil in MENA region.
The exercise reflects the depth and strength of the relations between the Egyptian and Spanish navies. The naval exercise was held in the framework of advancing the strategic and military partnership and cooperation between the two countries.
Egypt, over the past year, has held similar military exercises with a number of countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, the US, Russia, and France.
