UNIPATH STAFF
Egyptian fighter jets and helicopters simulated attacks against a hypothetical enemy over land and sea in the western region of Egypt in July 2020 during the Hasm 2020 military exercise.
Units from Egypt’s Navy, Air Defense Forces and Special Forces participated in the drills near the city of the Sidi Barrani, which lies on the Mediterranean Sea less than 100 kilometers from the Libyan border.
Accompanied by commanders of the Armed Forces, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visited the training site to offer support for securing the country from spillover from the civil war in Libya.
“Whoever thinks that he can cross the Sirte-Jufra line is mistaken because this is a red line for us,” President el-Sisi announced in reference to the Libyan governorate that share borders with Egypt.
Hasm 2020 included simulated bombing runs against a command center, coastal amphibious operations, naval bombardments and aerial assaults on armored columns.
President el-Sisi has announced his desire to defuse tension in Libya and supports cease-fires to encourage a political settlement of the conflict. Nevertheless, the country recognizes that modern threats like terrorism require the Armed Forces to improve their ability to conduct asymmetric, unconventional or hybrid wars.
To that end, Egyptian troops engage in multinational military exercises such as Bright Star in Egypt, Eager Lion in Jordan, Medusa with Cyprus and Greece, Zayed in the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Shield in Saudi Arabia. Source: Al-Ahram