Medusa 9, a military training exercise involving the Egyptian, Greek and Cypriot armed forces began in the Mediterranean on Sunday, within the framework of the annual plan of joint exercises carried out by the Egyptian armed forces to promote and support military cooperation with brotherly and friendly countries.
In a statement released by the Egyptian armed forces spokesman, the multi-day military training sees the participation of Egyptian, Greek, and Cypriot naval and air forces, as well as special forces.
The training aims at polishing the skills of officers participating in various naval operations, exchanging combat and field expertise, improving readiness to carry out any joint tasks under different circumstances, and protecting the vital and economic targets in the Mediterranean against any potential threats.
The Mistral-class helicopter carrier Gamal Abdel Nasser, El Fateh frigate, the German-made Type 209 submarine, the Sulayman Ezzat rocket launcher, the El Seddiq minehunter, and a number of F-16 fighter jets are taking part in the drill. In addition, elements of the Egyptian paratroopers and commandos, as well as a number of Navy College students will participate in the external training camp.
From the Greek side, a frigate, a landing ship, a submarine, a minesweeper, and a number of F-16 fighter jets are participating in the training, as well as special forces elements. From the Cypriot side, a long range ship and elements from special forces are participating.
The statement furthermore added that the drills come in light of the growing partnership and military cooperation between the Egyptian armed forces and brotherly countries, in addition to showing the combat capability and the high level of training to meet the growing challenges in the Mediterranean region.