The multinational aeronautical training exercise MEDUSA 2020 began on Monday 30 November, running until 06 December 2020, CyprusMail reported.

The multinational interdisciplinary exercise is taking place in the greater Alexandria area of Egypt and the Cairo Flight Information Region.

The Cypriot Defense Ministry said the exercise will take place in three phases that will deal with search and rescue, cyber war, surface drills and marine formations.

The MEDUSA exercise, which has taken place since 2017, is part of the tripartite cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Egypt in Defense and Security.

This year this cooperation is enhanced with the participation of forces from France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

On Saturday, just two days before the MEDUSA 2020 exercises began and following cooperation of the Greek military with the General Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, a joint PASSEX (Passing Exercise) training of surface units of the Greek and Egyptian Navies was conducted, Greek City Times.

Cyprus is participating with Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Andreas Ioannides and with a Military Liaison Officer in the joint military staff for the coordination of the drill, the Cypriot Defense Ministry announced.

Turkey is feeling isolated in the East Mediterranean because of the MEDUSA exercises.

Turkish Defense Ministry spokeswoman Pınar Kara said: “Another exercise has been added to the countries that have united against Turkey, such as Greece, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the Greek Cypriots and France, and since August they have been conducting successive exercises in the Mediterranean and trying to increase tensions.”

In November 2019, Egypt’s Mistral-class helicopter carrier Gamal Abdel Nasser, El Fateh frigate, the German-made Type 209 submarine, the Sulayman Ezzat rocket launcher, the El Seddiq minehunter, and a number of F-16 fighter took part in the MEDUSSA 9 military exercise, a Spokesman from the Egyptian Armed Forces said then.