The Russian-Egyptian tactical exercise Friendship Protectors to be held in Egypt this year will be aimed at practicing counter-terrorism operations, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press office said.

Egyptian and Russian paratroopers during Defenders of Friendship 2017 combined exercise (Picture source: Russian MoD)

The Russian-Egyptian exercise Friendship Protectors 2018 will be aimed at practicing counter-terrorism activities. The joint maneuvers will take place at training ranges and airfields in Egypt. According to the press office, officials of the Egyptian Armed Forces and the Russian Airborne Force have agreed on the exercise’s scenario during a conference. "During the exercise, the military contingents of both countries are planning to practice all-round interaction during a joint operation to block and eliminate illegal armed groups in an Egyptian region," the press office said.

"During the maneuvers, the servicemen will hold a number of joint tactical operations and practice airdropping and air-landing, as well as firing small arms and weapons mounted on combat vehicles," the press office added. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the joint Russian-Egyptian exercise would take place in November 2018.

The first Friendship Protectors international exercise was conducted on October 15-26, 2016 near Alexandria. In September 2017, the exercise took place at training ranges near Novorossiysk in south Russia and engaged more than 500 servicemen.