Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The Egyptian and French navies have launched a multi-day joint naval exercise, dubbed Cleopatra-2025, in French territorial waters, underscoring the growing military cooperation between the two countries.
According to Egypt’s military spokesperson, the exercise includes a mix of theoretical briefings and practical training designed to enhance joint maritime operations. The drills focus on operational planning, command and control procedures, and the management of combined naval activities, alongside simulations addressing non-traditional maritime threats such as asymmetric attacks and security challenges at sea.
The manoeuvres are intended to strengthen operational readiness, improve coordination between the two navies, and facilitate the exchange of technical and tactical expertise. Participating units are training in scenarios that reflect contemporary maritime security environments, with an emphasis on interoperability and rapid response.
Cleopatra-2025 forms part of the Egyptian Armed Forces’ wider programme of joint military exercises with international partners. Cairo has said these engagements aim to deepen defence cooperation, enhance mutual understanding, and build the capacity of participating forces to operate together across a range of missions.
The exercise reflects the longstanding defence relationship between Egypt and France, which has expanded in recent years to include arms cooperation, training initiatives, and joint drills across multiple military domains.
