Egypt, France conclude Cleopatra 2016/2 naval exercises

Egypt and France concluded on Thursday naval exercises code-named "Cleopatra 2016/2".

The several days' drills saw the participation of the amphibious assault ship/helicopter carrier of the French Mistral class, named after late president Anwar El Sadat.

The drills aim at honing skills and combat capabilities of naval forces of both sides.

This is the second carrier that Egypt receives from France in less than a year after the first Mistral helicopter carrier named after late President Gamal Abdel Nasser landed in Alexandria in June. 

The contract for the two Mistral carriers, which was finalized in October last year, was valued at 950 million euros.

The deal aims at modernizing Egypt's military hardware and capabilities.

Source: MENA