The Egyptian Armed Forces’ announcement of the launch of the “Tabuk 5” exercises coincided with the announcement of the implementation of a transient naval exercise within the scope of the Egyptian Southern Fleet in the Red Sea, between an Egyptian destroyer and two American destroyers.
Tabuk 5 training
The “Tabuk 5” training is organized for the fifth time between the two countries, alternately between the Egyptian and Saudi territories. The Egyptian military spokesman stated, in a statement on his Facebook page, that “Tabuk 5” is one of the largest joint exercises between the two countries, in terms of the size of the forces participating in the training, or the variety of training activities.
In “Tabuk 5”, infantry and armored forces, including main battle tanks, from both countries, elements of the special forces from the Thunderbolt and parachutes, as well as support elements of various specialized weapons, are participating.
The latest training, according to the Egyptian military spokesman, confirms the depth of military cooperation relations, and the growing fruitful partnership between the Egyptian and Saudi armed forces.
Protecting Arab National Security
Commenting on the launch of one of the largest joint Egyptian-Saudi exercises, Major General Dr. Muhammad al-Ghubari, former director of the National Defense College in Egypt, said that the Egyptian and Saudi armies are among the strongest armies in the region, and they have multiple experiences, and the joint exercises of their forces increase the level of ability and combat efficiency between them. .
Major General Al-Ghubari added, in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that the challenges facing the region are manifold and manifold, and military cooperation is one of the means that sends messages to those who plan to target Arab national security, regarding the presence of trained and strong forces capable of coordination and joint cooperation for the interests of their peoples, and the interests of the Arab world, according to the situation they may be exposed to.
The Egyptian military expert explains that this type of military training between the powerful armies and each other, contributes to getting to know the new weapons they have, the tactics and modern combat skills that they gained from experience, as well as the message of the strength of the relations between the two countries, as military cooperation is considered the most prestigious stage of cooperation. between countries and each other.
A few days ago, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced the implementation of 41 joint military exercises, whether inside or outside Egypt, during 2021, with many friendly and brotherly countries.
Crossing training in the Red Sea
The Egyptian military spokesman stated, in a statement, that the maritime training in transit within the scope of the Egyptian Southern Fleet in the Red Sea included several combat activities, including maritime security measures in the Red Sea, confronting atypical maritime threats, and an exercise to protect a ship carrying important cargo.
He explained that this transit training comes as an affirmation of the strategic partnership and the extended bilateral relations between the Egyptian armed forces and their American counterpart.
Navigation Security
Regarding the transit training between the Egyptian and American navies in the Red Sea, the Egyptian military expert, Major General Mohamed El-Gohari, says that this cooperation is taking place between the two countries within the framework of the presence of American naval forces in the Red Sea, and not an extensive joint training.
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, El-Gohary added that the significance of the current training lies in the distinguished relations between the two countries, the mutual confidence in the distinguished combat capabilities of each, and the possibility of carrying out joint actions in the framework of maintaining maritime security, especially in the Red Sea region, which is subject to numerous threats.
El-Gohary explains that there is a common challenge in the maritime operational environment in which the training took place, which is to preserve the security of the maritime traffic in the Red Sea, which passes through the Suez Canal, and is a major source of income for Egypt, as it is the artery of global trade movement.
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