Egypt, UK Conclude Joint Military Exercise
“Ahmose-1” was the first bilateral exercise for thirty years between Egypt and the UK ground forces
Dr. Shaul Shay
| 31/03/2019
Credit: UK MoD
The month-long “Ahmose-1” exercise began on March 5, 2019, with an inaugural ceremony at Mohamed Naguib base in Alexandria. "Ahmose-1" was the first bilateral exercise for thirty years between Egypt and the UK ground forces.
Exercise “Ahmose-1” saw the participation of 165 UK military personnel from Cyprus-based 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment “The Poachers,” in a joint exercise with members of the Egyptian 112 Infantry Brigade.
The Main Phases of the Exercise
The first phase of the drill included the arrival of the British forces, raising combat readiness, preparing and organizing to carry out the planned military activities.
The second phase included the integration of forces participating in the drill from both sides, training on dealing with IEDs, fighting in cities during the day and night and finally implementing many individual exercises with live ammunition.
The final phase has begun with a detailed explanation of the tactical plan and the topographic nature of al-Bayan area, where the exercise took place. The exercise included storming into an armed terrorist hotbed in a residential area with the participation of both air forces and ground troops.
Later, medical teams and support teams were deployed to reassure locals, re-operate suspended facilities and restore aspects of normal life in the area.
The exercise was attended by a number of commanders from the two sides, observers, military attachés and a number of students from military colleges and institutes.
“Egypt and the UK face the shared enemy of terrorism, which is threatening the stability of the region and the world,” said the British Ambassador to Egypt, Sir Geoffrey Adams. “We know that in order to defeat this threat we must work together and share best practice in realistic scenarios. Ahmose-1 marks the beginning of increased defense cooperation between our countries, to develop and ensure a safer, more secure region.”
Defense Attaché to Egypt Col. Ed Sandry, commented: “Ahmose-1 is a brilliant opportunity for UK and Egypt to work together on building our defense resilience. We are learning from each other and building on the strategic security relationship with Egypt, a strong partner and ally in the region. This exercise is another success story in our joint military work.”
Summary
In 2018, the British and Egyptian Ministries of Defense signed the first Memorandum of Understanding to conduct joint military exercises as part of efforts to strengthen their counter-terrorism cooperation.
The UK has joined forces with Egypt, the United States and a number of other countries in Exercise Bright Star 2018, but Ahmose-1 was the first bilateral exercise for thirty years between Egypt and the UK.
Egypt's Assistant Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Ahmed Wasfi conveyed the greetings of Minister of Defense and Military Production Mohamed Zaki and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Mohamed Farid to the troops participating in the training. He praised the level of coordination and cooperation between the two sides, confirming the ability of the forces to perform all tasks accurately and efficiently, Wasfi also said he was pleased with the participation of the British forces in the implementation of training for the first time in Egypt and looked forward to organizing more joint drills in the future.
Over the past few months, Egyptian forces have participated in several joint exercises with US and French forces, as well as joint Arab exercises.
[Sources: UK MoD, Asharq al Awsat]
“Ahmose-1” was the first bilateral exercise for thirty years between Egypt and the UK ground forces
Credit: UK MoD
The month-long “Ahmose-1” exercise began on March 5, 2019, with an inaugural ceremony at Mohamed Naguib base in Alexandria. "Ahmose-1" was the first bilateral exercise for thirty years between Egypt and the UK ground forces.
Exercise “Ahmose-1” saw the participation of 165 UK military personnel from Cyprus-based 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment “The Poachers,” in a joint exercise with members of the Egyptian 112 Infantry Brigade.
The Main Phases of the Exercise
The first phase of the drill included the arrival of the British forces, raising combat readiness, preparing and organizing to carry out the planned military activities.
The second phase included the integration of forces participating in the drill from both sides, training on dealing with IEDs, fighting in cities during the day and night and finally implementing many individual exercises with live ammunition.
The final phase has begun with a detailed explanation of the tactical plan and the topographic nature of al-Bayan area, where the exercise took place. The exercise included storming into an armed terrorist hotbed in a residential area with the participation of both air forces and ground troops.
Later, medical teams and support teams were deployed to reassure locals, re-operate suspended facilities and restore aspects of normal life in the area.
The exercise was attended by a number of commanders from the two sides, observers, military attachés and a number of students from military colleges and institutes.
“Egypt and the UK face the shared enemy of terrorism, which is threatening the stability of the region and the world,” said the British Ambassador to Egypt, Sir Geoffrey Adams. “We know that in order to defeat this threat we must work together and share best practice in realistic scenarios. Ahmose-1 marks the beginning of increased defense cooperation between our countries, to develop and ensure a safer, more secure region.”
Defense Attaché to Egypt Col. Ed Sandry, commented: “Ahmose-1 is a brilliant opportunity for UK and Egypt to work together on building our defense resilience. We are learning from each other and building on the strategic security relationship with Egypt, a strong partner and ally in the region. This exercise is another success story in our joint military work.”
Summary
In 2018, the British and Egyptian Ministries of Defense signed the first Memorandum of Understanding to conduct joint military exercises as part of efforts to strengthen their counter-terrorism cooperation.
The UK has joined forces with Egypt, the United States and a number of other countries in Exercise Bright Star 2018, but Ahmose-1 was the first bilateral exercise for thirty years between Egypt and the UK.
Egypt's Assistant Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Ahmed Wasfi conveyed the greetings of Minister of Defense and Military Production Mohamed Zaki and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Mohamed Farid to the troops participating in the training. He praised the level of coordination and cooperation between the two sides, confirming the ability of the forces to perform all tasks accurately and efficiently, Wasfi also said he was pleased with the participation of the British forces in the implementation of training for the first time in Egypt and looked forward to organizing more joint drills in the future.
Over the past few months, Egyptian forces have participated in several joint exercises with US and French forces, as well as joint Arab exercises.
[Sources: UK MoD, Asharq al Awsat]
