The Egyptian and Russian navies concluded on Saturday the joint exercise codenamed ‘Friendship Bridge 4’, which lasted over the past few days in the territorial waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
This joint naval training came as part of the unique ties binding Egypt and Russia, with the aim of enhancing co-operation and exchanging expertise between the armed forces of both countries in securing naval operations against various hostilities.
The training started with a reception ceremony for the Russian forces participating in the drills at the Alexandria Naval Base in Ras el-Tin.
The training included theoretical lectures to unify the concepts between the elements of both navies with the participation of Mistral-class helicopter carrier Jamal Abdel Nasser.
Several naval formations and artillery fire with live ammunition against atypical threats were implemented during the exercises.
In addition, the naval drills included air defence training for naval formations, to secure a ship loaded with important cargo.
The elements of the naval special forces of both countries also carried out a number of joint activities, including tactical shooting with small arms and snipers.
They also conduced training in urban and confined spaces, which showed the accuracy and high combat efficiency of the two sides as well as the ability to solve all emergency situations successfully.
The training was carried out despite the bad weather conditions, especially in coastal areas.
Lieutenant-General Ahmed Khaled, Commander of the Egyptian Naval Forces, and Lieutenant-General Arkady Romanov, Deputy Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, attended the naval drills, together with a number of Egyptian and Russian naval units and members of the naval special forces of both sides.
Russian Ambassador in Cairo Georgy Borisenko attended the event.
