The joint Egyptian-UAE-U.S. “2016 Eagle’s Salute” military exercises kicked off Monday in the Red Sea, announced Egypt’s Minister of Defense.
The drills, which will last for several days, will include joint naval reconnaissance works and activities of dealing with offensive and defensive situations, the statement added.
Egyptian military forces have been deployed at Yemen’s Bab el-Mandeb’s strait since it participated in Saudi Arabia’s Decisive Storm operation against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, but contributed naval and air forces. Egypt has stated the Bab el-Mandeb strait is an integral part of its national security; the Yemeni water way is an important passage to Suez Canal, a substantial source of income for Egypt.
Egypt, along with other 19 Arab and Islamic countries have participated in the “Thunder of the North” joint military exercise that concluded with a marching parade in Saudi Arabia Friday.
On March 12, Egyptian-French military exercise performed off the coast of Alexandria with the participation of air and naval forces from both countries, the Egyptian Armed Forces said in a statement.
