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Al-Ahram Weekly 25 - 31 May 2000 Issue No. 483 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 25 - 31 May 2000 Issue No. 483
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Saluting the eagle
By Amira Ibrahim
Within the framework of the strong military cooperation between Egypt and the United States, the navies of the two countries closed ranks last week in joint war-games off Egypt's southern Red Sea coast. The manoeuvres, code-named "Eagle Salute 2000," have been conducted annually since 1992. One frigate from each side, along with a number of warplanes and helicopters taking part for the first time, participated in the exercise which took place 600 nautical miles off Safaga.
Last week's exercise was divided into three main stages. The first involved pre-sailing conferences for commanders to draw up exercise plans. The second focused on warfare control and the use of live ammunition and equipment at sea. The third stage featured evaluations of the exercise.
During the manoeuvres, a number of weapons, including surface gunnery, air defence and air gunnery, were used. There was also coordinated air and surface search-and-rescue, anti-submarine warfare and combined maritime interception. In addition, the two frigates carried out formation steams during daytime and night-time and semaphore and photo exercises.
Joint exercises primarily provide an opportunity for one nation to become acquainted with the tactics of the armed forces of another. An Egyptian naval officer told Al-Ahram Weekly that the benefits gained from joint exercises surpass those accrued from training programmes and scholarships abroad.
"It is a chance to explore how qualified we are to perform the same task as our European or American counterparts," the officer commented.
For a country like Egypt, joint training with the US navy, the world's strongest, as well as European navies, provides a good opportunity to interact with high technology and advanced equipment.
The Egyptian navy's contribution to the exercise consisted of a frigate, elements from the naval special forces, the Sai'qa (storm troopers) and a number of F-16 and Beechcraft fighters, SH-2G helicopters and E-2C early-warning planes. The US side participated with the Perry-class frigate Samuel B Roberts (SBR), SH-60 helicopter and P-3C aircraft.
The Egyptian frigate participating in the Eagle Salute naval war games prepares to open fire in a surface gunnery exercise
In the course of the exercises, the Egyptian and US frigates exchanged attack and defence positions.
After the US frigate threw a target known as "the Killer Tomato" in the sea, the surface gunnery exercise started. The Egyptian unit opened up with 37mm and 57mm artillery, scoring accurate hits at 2,000 yards. The SBR succeeded in hitting the target with 12.7mm and 20mm artillery at 500 yards. No sooner had the gunnery exercise ended than a number of Egyptian F-16 fighters staged a mock attack against the naval units, which defended themselves with anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles.
As the F-16 fighters disappeared into the horizon, the SH-60 helicopter took off from the SBR to act as a simulator missile attacking both frigates. The Egyptian and US units cooperated in identifying the "enemy" target, its distance, speed and direction and carried out free manoeuvres before destroying the missile.
But it was not all war-games. Units participating in the exercise carried out a successful air and surface search-and-rescue operation on a target that supposedly needed help. The SBR acted as a ship that had caused environmental damage, possibly an oil leak. The Egyptian unit intercepted the ship, which acted as a "positive responding ship" and allowed the Egyptian inspection team aboard.
According to the Egyptian frigate commander, maritime interception is an occasional mission for the Egyptian navy. "The Egyptian frigate has carried out interception operations several times in the Red Sea," he told the Weekly. "In 1982, we intercepted a ship which attempted to escape from an Egyptian port without paying the due fees."
The fact that the two frigates were built with different technology enabled the two sides to examine each other's abilities to carry out the same mission. "The Egyptian forces performed as well as their counterparts, and were even better at some exercises," asserted the frigate commander.
The commander of a Red Sea naval base told the Weekly that Eagle Salute 2000 had chalked up some firsts: the participation of the air forces for the first time, the participation of storm troopers in maritime interception for the first time and the participation of the US P-3C aircraft which provided Egyptian pilots with a chance to familiarise themselves with its advanced technology.
Commander David A LaBarbera, the SBR's commanding officer, asserted that both the Egyptian and US sides benefited from the exercise. "Regardless of how big or small the exercise is, there are some benefits for both navies, and that is why we are here," LaBarbera told the Weekly. "If the Egyptian navy was not good enough to implement this exercise, we would not stop by and say 'hello'," he added.
Apart from the United States, Egypt and Britain organise a separate series of joint naval manoeuvres dubbed "Sea Winds" in the Mediterranean. Egypt, France and Britain also participate in joint naval exercises, code-named "Cleopatra," every other year in the Mediterranean.
