The Egyptian-Russian joint naval exercise “Friendship Bridge” concluded on Thursday.
The exercise, conducted by units from the Egyptian and Russian navies over the past few days in Egyptian territorial waters in the Northern Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, involved several joint naval formations, live-fire artillery exercises, air defense exercises for naval formations.
Several lectures were also delivered on medical evacuation, first aid, countering asymmetric threats, and cybersecurity.
Egyptian and Russian naval special forces also conducted a number of joint activities, demonstrating the precision and high combat efficiency of both sides and their ability to successfully handle all emergency tactical situations.
The exercise focused on a range of naval operations, including joint tactical maneuvering, communication training, and coordination of shipborne helicopter operations.
The Egyptian Navy was represented by several corvettes and the FREMM frigate Al-Ghalala (FFG 1002), a general-purpose Bergamini-class vessel originally developed for the Italian Navy. On the Russian side, the exercise included the participation of the frigates Admiral Golovko and Admiral Grigorovich, along with the fleet tanker Vyazma—currently the only three surface combatants the Russian Navy maintains in the Mediterranean.
Friendship Bridge is an extension of a series of joint exercises conducted by the Egyptian Armed Forces with several countries to transfer and exchange expertise and support security and stability.
Conducted in the PASSEX (Passing Exercise) format, the training emphasized combat coordination, joint maneuvering, maritime interdiction procedures, and inter-fleet communication protocols.
The Friendship Bridge series, first launched in 2015, underscores the growing military ties between Russia and Egypt, and is designed to reinforce regional maritime security while showcasing both countries’ commitment to stability in the Mediterranean region.
Notably, the participation of the Al-Ghalala, an Italian-designed FREMM frigate, drew attention among Russian observers, which had the opportunity to closely observe a vessel class that forms the backbone of the Italian Navy. While it’s presumed that the Egyptian FREMMs do not carry the same sensitive systems or classified equipment as their Italian counterparts, the presence of such a platform in the exercise likely held significant intelligence value.
In the same vein, in mid-April, China and Egypt embarked on their first-ever joint air exercise, dubbed Civilization Eagle 2025, marking a notable milestone in their military collaboration.
The PLA Air Force detachment arrived in Egypt with at least five Xian Y-20 Kunpeng transport aircraft, alongside other assets like J-10C/S fighters, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and YY-20A tankers, having traveled approximately 6,000 kilometers across multiple countries to reach Cairo.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has deployed its KJ-500 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to Egypt for the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” joint air exercise with the Egyptian Air Force (EAF). This is the first time the KJ-500 has participated in an international military exercise, marking a new step in China’s overseas air operations.
