• 16:04
  • Thursday ,19 October 2017
العربية

Egyptian Gowind corvette, Type-209 submarine arrive at naval base in Alexandria

By-Ahram

Home News

00:10

Thursday ,19 October 2017

Egyptian Gowind corvette, Type-209 submarine arrive at naval base in Alexandria

The first Gowind 2500 corvette of four ordered by the Egyptian naval forces from France, and a second Type-209/1400 submarine from Germany, arrived at a naval base in Alexandria on Wednesday, Egypt s military said in a statement.

A military drill was conducted between the Egyptian and French naval forces, including the two new additions to the Egyptian fleet, in the Atlantic Ocean during their voyage to Egypt, the statement said.
 
The ENS Al-Fateh, as the Gowind is named, was handed over to Egypt last month at a ceremony in the French city of Lorient.
 
Egypt received the German submarine a month earlier in German city of Kiel.
 
Egypt signed a deal with Berlin to buy two German-made Type-209 submarines in 2011, and ordered two more in 2014. The first was handed over in December 2016, officially joining the Egyptian naval fleet in April.
 
The Gowind warship, manufactured by French shipbuilder Naval Group, is part of a 2014 deal to manufacture four corvettes for the Egyptian naval forces. The other three corvettes will be built in Egypt under a transfer of technology agreement.
 
The new units will take part in tactical manoeuvres this month to commemorate the 44th anniversary of Egypt s victory in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, and the 50th annual Egyptian Naval Forces Day.
 
The delivery of the new units is part of a series of purchases by the Egyptian military of helicopter carriers, submarines, warships and other military units worth billions of dollars.
 
Egyptian officials have said the armament deals are aimed to enhance the efficiency of Egypt s naval forces and help bolster the country s national security.
 
In 2016, Egypt took delivery of two French Mistral helicopter carriers, in a deal worth $1 billion.
 
Egypt also received a multi-purpose frigate FREMM as part of a deal worth 5.2 billion euros.