Defence minister witnesses main phase of ‘Goliath-2’drill

By Sarah Saad

Egypt’s Defence Minister, Mohamed Zaki, witnessed the main phase of the ‘Goliath-2’ exercise which was carried out by the different units of the Western Military Region.

The exercise was part of the training plan of different formations and units in the Egyptian Armed Forces.

Attending the main phase of the exercise, along with the minister of defence, was also Army Chief of Staff, Osama Askar, as well as the commanders of the main branches of the Armed Forces and a host of other army commanders and senior officers.

Western Military Region Commander, Maj. Gen. Mohamed Haitham Mohamed Helmy, highlighted the region’s commitment to reaching the highest levels of combat preparedness.

The personnel of the region, he said, stand ready to carry out all the tasks assigned to them in defence of Egypt’s securityand sacred soil, regardless of how much this will cost them.

The main phase of the exercise witnessed a presentation about operational concepts as well as a review of the decisions made by commanders during the exercise.

Minister Zaki then chatted with some commanders and officers on means of carrying out their tasks and their decision-making process in addressing unexpected changes in the course of operations.

He also met some Western Military Region fighters and conveyed the greetings and appreciation of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to them, expressing pride in the efforts of the region’s personnel.

The minister of defence also emphasized the Egyptian Armed Forces’ commitment to improving the combat readiness and operational readiness of its units and formations, and increasing their capabilities and capacities at all levels.

He praised the outstanding performance of the forces during the exercise.

Minister Zaki also took questions from some of the fighters of the region and discussed a wide range of issues with them.

He expressed satisfaction with the fighters’ understanding of the various issues.

Chief of Staff Askar also witnessed one of the stages of the exercise, which included a review of reports and decisions made at various levels.

He also discussed a number of unexpected tactical situations to ensure that all elements involved in the exercise were capable of making the right operational decisions.