Egypt and the US have launched their latest round of military drills involving 44 countries, at a time of major conflicts in the Middle East.
Exercise Bright Star at the Mohamed Naguib Military Base includes participation from Nato and the International Red Cross, an Egyptian military spokesman said.
The two-week exercise, running from August 28 to September 10, aims to enhance regional security, counterterrorism efforts and military interoperability.
It includes 14 nations contributing more than 8,000 troops, with 30 others joining as observers, the spokesman said.
Participating countries include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Greece, India, Pakistan, Jordan, the UK and Italy.
Bright Star, originally a bilateral US-Egypt exercise launched in 1980, has grown into a multinational event, reflecting the strategic partnership between Washington and Cairo, the second largest recipient of US foreign military aid after Israel.
Centcom said that the exercise underscored the “historic partnership” between the two nations and their commitment to counterterrorism and combatting violent extremism.
Bright Star this year will focus on combined arms operations, counterterrorism, maritime security, air defence and live-fire exercises. The training will also feature advanced weapons systems, joint air and naval operations, and urban warfare scenarios.
Exercises will include electronic warfare simulations and humanitarian assistance drills.
The event is taking place against a backdrop of Israel expanding its military campaign in Gaza, where it has killed over 62,800 people, and where the UN declared a famine last week.
“The Gaza war had caused a great deal of tension and raised questions about US-Egyptian relations under Trump's second term," a military official told The National.
There was some tension earlier this year over US President Donald Trump’s demands that Egypt rehome hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in a bid to clear Gaza.
"The Bright Star being held now is a strong message that the two nations’ partnership will continue as it was and that the vital part of that relationship, military cooperation, remains strong,” the official added.
It also comes as conflicts continue in neighbouring Libya and Sudan, and as global efforts are stepped up to secure maritime routes in the Red Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.
Egypt conducted its first joint military drills with China, named “Eagles of Civilisation”, in April and May, involving a range of multi-role aircraft, weapon systems and military equipment.
