Colonel Gharib Abdel Hafez, the military spokesperson for the Egyptian armed forces, said that “it is not wise to test the reaction of the Egyptian armed forces.”
Egypt’s armed forces are well aware of regional challenges and the international changes, he explained, which is now part of the Egyptian national security strategy.
During an interview on Sunday with TV host Ahmed Moussa, Hafez said that these challenges “require maintaining the highest levels of readiness.”
“It is not wise, in light of these capabilities and high deterrence power, to test the reaction of the Egyptian armed forces.”
The armed forces has eagerly modernized its naval forces, he stated, raising their ability to secure the maritime domain along coasts of about 2,936km on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea, while equipping them with the latest weapons and naval equipment.
Several military bases have been recently established, he noted, which include the Mohamed Naguib Military Base in July 2017 and the Sidi Barani Military Base and Berenice Military Base in January 2020 to protect and secure the Red Sea coast and the southern strategic direction and deter any threats that might affect national security.
The latest opening of the Third of July Naval Base is an extension of the modernization of the armed forces, which includes the latest weapons, equipment and modern technology.
Hafez explained that the Third of July Naval Base unites all elements of training and high combat capability, while its strategic location in the Gargoub area on the Mediterranean coast between the cities of Matrouh and Sidi Barani at a distance of about 179 miles from Alexandria, serves both northern and western strategic directions.
This benefits the navy’s ability to prevent infiltration and smuggling across the Egyptian coast, carry out search and rescue missions, prevent illegal immigration, and secure vital state goals and economic gains.
Hafez explained that the inauguration of the base coincided with the activities of the maneuver “Qadir 2021”, which reflects the readiness of the Egyptian forces and their high-end training to achieve security and preserve the economic wealth of the Egyptian state.
The armed forces are implementing a comprehensive strategy to develop and modernize all major branches, keeping in pace with the rapid development in systems and methods of combat and diversify sources of armament, he said, while enabling them to carry out all tasks under various circumstances on all strategic directions.
Hafez noted that the development process in the Navy includes the addition of the latest naval pieces to enhance the offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as the inclusion of the latest generations of multi-tasking fighters, including Rafale and others, capable of reaching planned goals at long ranges and under various circumstances.
And there is further rehabilitation and development of individual fighters as the main pillar for the success of the development and modernization strategy in the armed forces, he added, stressing that all of the above development ensures that the armed forces possess a deterrent force.
