Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have launched a joint military training exercise off Egypt's eastern shores dubbed Khalifa 3, Egypt's armed forces said in a statement on Tuesday.

Naval and air forces of the two countries will take part in the multi-day exercise at a Red Sea base in Egyptian territorial waters, Egyptian military spokesman Colonel Tamer El-Rifai said in a statement posted on the Egyptian military’s official Facebook page.

The spokesman said the exercise is aimed at continuing to "boost military relations between Egypt and the UAE" and "developing the skills of commanders and officers to maintain combat efficiency and standardize operational concepts."

Egyptian naval units taking part in the drills include a frigate, a marine supply vessel, missile launches and a minehunter.

The two countries previously held two joint military exercises dubbed Khalifa 1 and Khalifa 2 in June 2014 and April 2016 respectively.

The UAE is one of Egypt's main allies.

Egypt over the past year has held similar military exercises with a number of countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, the US, Russia and France.