President Abdel Fattah El Sisi inaugurated Saturday the 3rd of July Naval Base, Egypt’s newest on the northern Mediterranean coast.
Attending the opening of the new base was a host of high-level visitors, including Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed and the Chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohamed Ahmed al-Manfi and a host of army commanders and government officials.
The new base compliments others constructed by the administration of President Sisi in the past few years with the aim of balancing the deployment of army troops and equipment.
It joins the Barnice Naval/Air base on the Red Sea near Egypt’s border with neighbouring Sudan and close to the southern entrance of the Red Sea.
The new base also joins the Mohamed Naguib Base in the Western Desert, which has become an important point for the training of Egyptian troops as well as Arab and African troops.
The nation’s navy conducted a major drill on the occasion of the opening of the base, demonstrating high proficiency in the use of modern equipment that joined in recently.
Called “Qader 2021”, the drill included a wide range of combat activities, including an operation to free a group of hostages and the arrest of the commander of enemy troops.
Several modern equipment, which joined the navy in the past years, also participated in the drill, including one of two French Mistral class helicopter carriers, frigates and corvettes.
Real addition
The 3rd of July Naval Base is located in Jagroub area on the northern Mediterranean coast. It is also few kilometres away from the border with neighbouring Libya.
The base covers an area of 10 million square metres, according to Vice Admiral Ahmed Khaled, the commander of the Egyptian navy.
It will be an addition to strategic capabilities on Egypt’s western border on the Mediterranean, he added at the opening of the base.
He noted that the presence of the base would help Egypt beef up its naval security, safeguard the maritime movement in this area and prevent illegal immigration to Europe and other parts of the world.
The base will also be responsible for protecting Egypt’s wealth in the Mediterranean, Vice Adm. Khaled said. He described the area where the base is constructed as one of the “most important strategic” areas in the world.
The new base, he added, is equipped to carry out all missions and serve as a meeting point for training with friendly and sister countries.
Logistic support centre
The opening of the new base coincides with the eighth anniversary of July 3, the day on which the nation’s political and religious forces and people decided to turn the page on the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013.
It also comes as new naval units join the national navy. According to Vice Adm. Khaled, 47 new modern units had already joined the navy.
The new units strengthen the capabilities of the navy on all strategic directions, he said.
Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said the new base would be responsible for safeguarding the northwestern part of Egypt.
The new base, he added, would also protect the nation’s wealth in the Mediterranean, secure maritime lines and safeguard the nation’s maritime security, using combat groups, naval units and submarines, along with the air force.
He noted that the opening of the new base comes as part of a plan for the comprehensive overhaul of the Egyptian navy.
The new bases will serve as deployment points and centres for logistical support for the Egyptian army in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, Ambassador Radi said.
This support will help the army counter any challenges and threats in these areas and also fight smuggling and illegal immigration, he added.
