Egypt, France in joint air exercise “Amon-2026”

The Egyptian and French armed forces have launched a joint air exercise dubbed “Amon-2026,” the Egyptian military spokesman announced on Sunday.

The “Amon-2026” joint air exercise, taking place over several days at “a number of airbases” across Egypt, involves various types of aircraft, according to the same source.

The program begins with a series of theoretical sessions designed to harmonise concepts, refine skills, and coordinate the conduct of joint operations across various air combat scenarios.

Additionally, multi-role fighter jets from both militaries will carry out numerous joint sorties. These missions aim to practice attacking enemy targets and defending vital assets “with efficiency and
competence,” the statement noted.

The “Amon-2026” exercise is part of the Egyptian armed forces’ joint training plan. It aims to strengthen military cooperation with counterparts from “brotherly and friendly” nations, the military spokesman added.

This manoeuvre takes place against a backdrop of strengthening military ties between Cairo and Paris.

France is a long-standing strategic partner of Egypt, particularly in the fields of air and naval defence.

In recent years, Paris has supplied Cairo with dozens of Rafale fighter jets, as well as frigates and advanced military equipment.

Joint exercises between the two countries have increased in both the air and naval domains, illustrating the growing alignment between the two capitals on regional security issues, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

The name “Amon” refers to the Egyptian god of air and the sun – a designation previously used for bilateral exercises between Egypt and France. The “2026” refers to the current year.

Egyptian authorities did not specify the exact number of aircraft involved or the total duration of the exercise, citing operational security reasons.

MK/AK/Sf/fss/as/APA