Against the backdrop of escalating regional tensions and shifting geopolitical alliances, Egypt held joint defence drills with Turkey and Oman last week.
The Egyptian-Turkish air force exercises took place over several days at various Egyptian air bases, with the participation of multi-role combat aircraft from both sides. The programme opened with a theoretical component that included lectures unifying operational concepts and facilitating the exchange of expertise between pilots and other participating personnel.
Then followed the practical component, which included training sorties involving simulated operational missions. The purpose of the drills was to improve tactical coordination, enhance interoperability, and bring participating personnel to the highest levels of combat effectiveness and readiness for joint air operations under diverse conditions.
Major-General Osama Al-Kebir, an adviser at the Military Staff College, explained that this joint air force training programme is part of the of the process of rebuilding Egyptian-Turkish relations after nearly 12 years of sharp political tensions that began in 2013. It was not until 2024 that diplomatic ties were restored to normal through the exchanges of high-level visits.
The training exercises reflect the improved bilateral climate. Al-Kebir described last week’s drills as a natural extension of the Sea of Friendship joint naval exercise that was conducted in Egypt’s territorial waters in September 2025.
This time around, the cooperation expanded to include a broad range of air force components. In addition to jet fighters, it included combat helicopters, heavy transport aircraft, logistical support assets, and integrated air defence and electronic warfare systems.
Al-Kebir said that joint exercises are not carried out within the framework of a military alliance, instead constituting a common form of military cooperation between states. In addition to training purposes, they aim to strengthen cooperation among participating personnel, familiarise each side with the military systems of the other, and build strategic deterrence through the display of military capacities and expertise.
The same thing applied to the Egyptian-Omani joint exercise Qalat Al-Gabal 2 (Mountain Fortress 2), a two-week training programme that began on 11 June bringing together Egyptian Special Forces personnel and their Omani counterparts.
The activities, conducted at Egyptian training facilities, are a continuation of the first Qalat Al-Gabal exercise held in the Al-Gabal Al-Akhdar district of Oman from 4 to 15 September 2022.
The programme also involves two phases, the first a theoretical one that includes lectures and activities aimed at harmonising concepts and strengthening operational cohesion among the participating forces. This phase included an exhibition of various weapons and equipment.
In the second phase, the participants engaged in various field and tactical training activities focused on counterterrorism operations, hostage rescue, and combat in built-up areas.
Describing Qalat Al-Gabal 2 as “a strategic pillar for securing maritime navigation amid escalating regional tensions,” Major-General Ayman Abdel-Mohsen, a specialist in military and strategic affairs, said that it reflected the growing level of security coordination aimed at safeguarding the vital maritime routes stretching from the Bab Al-Mandab Strait to the Arabian Sea.
He explained that the coordination between Cairo and Muscat was an important means to develop strategic balance in this region, given Oman’s location overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, while Egypt occupies a strategic position controlling access to the Suez Canal and the Bab Al-Mandab.
He added that the joint exercises aim to strengthen the participating special forces’ interoperability and combat readiness to respond to non-conventional maritime threats.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 18 June, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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