Global News

Russia and Egypt are deepening and expanding military and technical cooperation. From Oct. 27 to Nov. 7, the Egyptian air force’s tactical training center near Cairo hosted joint military drills, dubbed Arrow of Friendship-1.

For more than a year, Russia’s activity on the Egyptian track has provided grounds for speculation about the prospects for setting up a Russian military base on the ground. As early as two years ago, Moscow and Cairo approved a draft agreement that “would allow each side to use the other’s airspace and air bases.” It did not imply setting up a military base per se, but it did significantly expand military cooperation between the two countries.

Since 2015, Russia and Egypt have repeatedly held joint naval and airborne counterterrorism exercises. As recently as late August, the Ryazan Oblast district of Russia saw the Defenders of Friendship drills involving Russian, Belarusian and Egyptian paratroopers who, according to the legend, were tasked with recapturing an airfield seized by militants. However, Arrow of Friendship-1 became the first military exercise by Russia’s and Egypt’s air defense forces. The former was represented by anti-aircraft gunners of various units from the Volgograd region, the Krasnodar Krai, North Ossetia and Crimea. 

The official counter-offensive against an enemy’s massive airstrikes was preceded by a two-week preparatory stage. On Nov. 1, integrated units destroyed the enemy’s helicopters after they, according to the scenario, had attacked Egypt’s tank units during the military march. As the military pointed out, the maneuvers involving Egypt’s warplanes and helicopters and Russia’s military ground vehicles did not target any third country. Yet some Russian military observers drew attention to the fact that the presentation slides featured America’s F-22 Raptor fighters, CH-47 Chinook helicopters, cruise missiles and laser-guided bombs as the potential targets for Russia and Egypt.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/11/russia-egypt-military-drills-arms-sales.html