The Egyptian Ministry of Defense announced that the joint naval exercise “Sea of Friendship 2025” has concluded. The exercise was conducted over several days within the territorial waters of the Republic of Türkiye.
The exercise included numerous workshops aimed at unifying operational concepts among the participating elements. Special Forces from both countries carried out a series of live-fire exercises with various weapons, demonstrating a high level of combat training, precision, and professionalism in engaging targets.
Naval units executed a range of training activities at sea, including cross-deck helicopter operations, boarding and inspection procedures of suspected vessels, at-sea replenishment, and multiple sailing formations. These activities reflected the high degree of interoperability among the participating forces and their ability to assume tactical positions with speed and accuracy.
The exercise aimed to maximize the mutual benefits of the combined capabilities of both sides and to exchange expertise in securing maritime theaters of operations against diverse threats.
The concluding phase of the exercise was attended by a number of Senior Commanders from the Egyptian and Turkish Naval Forces.
Launched on 24 September, the exercise resumed for the first time in 13 years in a clear sign of developing relations and a shared goal of enhancing joint operational capabilities between Turkey and Egypt.
The “Sea of Friendship 2025” drill is part of a broader plan of joint military drills carried out by the Egyptian Armed Forces in cooperation with friendly and allied nations across various specialties, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense added.
According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, the exercises involved the Turkish frigates TCG Oruçreis and TCG Gediz, the assault boats TCG Imbat and TCG Bora, the submarine TCG Gür, and two F-16 fighter jets, alongside units from the Egyptian Navy.
The resumption of the drills comes amid a significant warming of relations, highlighted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who recently described ties with Cairo as being at their “best levels in modern history,” Daily News Egypt reported.
This growing military cooperation was further cemented in August, when the two countries signed an agreement for the joint manufacturing of vertical take-off and landing drones (VTOL-UAVs). The deal between Turkey’s Havelsan defence technology company and Egypt’s Arab Organisation for Industrialisation was hailed by Turkey’s ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Şen, as a “milestone” representing a “new chapter in enhancing cooperation.”
The exercises bring together two of the region’s most formidable naval powers. The global military ranking site WDMMW places Turkey’s Navy 10th in the world and Egypt’s 13th, making it the strongest in the Arab world. The site’s ranking is based on total combat strength, the quality and diversity of military inventory, modernisation, logistical support, and attack and defense capabilities.
The Egyptian Navy is tasked with protecting over 2,000 kilometers of coastline on the Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as the crucial Suez Canal. Its arsenal comprises over 100 platforms, including two helicopter carriers, eight submarines, 13 frigates, seven corvettes, and 48 patrol vessels.
Key assets include two French-made Mistral-class helicopter carriers, the ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser and the ENS Anwar El Sadat. Each vessel is 199 meters long, can carry up to 16 heavy attack helicopters or 35 light helicopters, and transport dozens of combat vehicles.
Egypt’s surface fleet is bolstered by advanced frigates, including the Italian Fincantieri Bergamini-class and the German-made Meko A-200 stealth frigate, one of which is being jointly manufactured at the Alexandria shipyard. The Meko A-200 is armed with a 127mm main gun, surface-to-air missiles, and anti-ship missiles.
Cairo’s underwater capabilities are centered on its German-built Type 209/1400 diesel-electric attack submarines. Known for their low acoustic signatures, which make them difficult to detect, these submarines are equipped with eight torpedo tubes capable of launching up to 14 torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles, as well as deploying sea mines. (Egyptian and Turkish Ministries of Defense; Daily News Egypt; Photo © Egyptian Ministry of Defense)
