By Sarah Saad
The Egyptian Air Force and Dassault, the leading French company in the field of combat aircraft production, celebrated the 50th anniversary of joint co-operation and the joining of the first combat aircraft produced by the company to the Egyptian Air Force.
This was in a special celebration of a historical nature at the Grand Egyptian Museum that reflected the depth of bilateral relations and the strategic ties that bring Egypt and France together at all levels.
The event was held in the presence of General Mahmoud Fouad Abdel Gawad, Commander of the Air Force, Eric Trabais, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the French company Dassault, and a number of representatives of the Egyptian Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, and members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
During the event, there was a documentary film that included the history of the arrival of the first Mirage 5 aircraft in 1974 And combat aircraft (Alpha Jet) in 1982, then combat aircraft (Mirage 2000) in 1986, to crown the ancient past with a prosperous present and a bright future with the addition of the latest multi-role combat aircraft (Rafale) in 2015.
The Air Force Commander delivered a speech in which he conveyed the greetings and appreciation of General Mohamed Zaki, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the French company Dassault also gave a speech in which he stressed the depth of the extended relations between the Egyptian Air Force and Dassault, which is represented in a unique strategic partnership.
The celebration concluded with the exchange of shields between the two sides. The events were attended by a number of commanders of the armed forces, the French ambassador, the French defence attaché in Cairo, and a number of teachers, trainers, and technical crews working on different models of French aircraft.