Russia and Egypt Begin Joint Exercises in the Mediterranean Sea

The three-day phase of joint military exercises between Russia's Black Sea Fleet and the Egyptian naval forces has commenced in the Mediterranean Sea. This has been reported by the information support department of the Black Sea Fleet.

“The crews of the ships from the Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) and the Naval Forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt (NFA) have initiated the maritime phase of the joint naval exercises named ‘Bridge of Friendship-2021’,” the statement said.

The task force of the Russian naval fleet includes the frigate ‘Admiral Grigorovich’ armed with a Ka-27PS helicopter, the patrol ship ‘Dmitry Rogachev’, and the rescue tug SB-742. The flotilla of the Egyptian naval forces consists of one frigate, two reconnaissance vessels, and one support ship.

During the maritime phase of the exercises, military sailors will provide assistance to a ship in distress, counter assaults on shipping assets, and conduct inspection operations against ‘suspicious vessels,’ the department noted.

The ‘Bridge of Friendship’ joint Russian-Egyptian exercises have been taking place since 2015, and in 2020, they were held in the waters of the Black Sea.