According to information published by Xinhuanet on May 10, 2021, Egypt and France have conducted joint naval and air drills in Egypt, Tamer Al Rifai the Egyptian armed forces spokesman said.
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French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and ENS El-Fateh corvette (Picture source: Instagram's account of Egyptian Armed Forces)
The maritime drills took place in the Red Sea, while the air exercises were conducted at one of the Egyptian army's bases, the Egyptian military said.
The Egyptian corvette El-Fateh and the combat group accompanying the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle participated in the exercise, the statement added.
During the training, the naval forces implemented many joint combat activities, while the air forces carried out joint training activities with the participation of a group of the latest models of multi-role fighters.
The ENS El Fateh (971) is the lead ship of the Egyptian Gowind-class corvette of the Egyptian Navy. She was commissioned on 22 September 2017.
The El Fateh-Class Corvette is powered by a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system including two MTU diesel engines and two electric engines. The ship can reach a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) with a cruising range of 3,700 nmi (6,900 km; 4,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). She has an endurance of 21 days and a crew of 65 sailors. The corvette is also able to accommodate 15 Special Forces.
The El Fateh-Class Corvette is armed with one OTO Melara 76 mm or Bofors 57 mm gun main gun, two Nexter Narwhal 20 mm or MSI DS30M 30 mm cannon, 8 – 16 VLS (Vertical Launching System) for MICA VL air defense missile, 4 – 8 × Exocet or Naval Strike Missile anti-ship missile and two triple torpedo launchers.
The first of this class, named Charles de Gaulle (also referred to as de Gaulle), was ordered in February 1986; construction was started in November 1987. The keel was laid in April 1989, and the ship was launched in May 1994.
De Gaulle will be approximately 261 meters long and have a displacement of approximately 40,000 tons. It will accommodate 40 aircraft, including the new Rafale SU 0 class, the Super Etendard (to be replaced by the Rafale SU 2 in 2005), and E-2C Hawkeye early-warning aircraft, as well as several helicopters. There are two catapults, each capable of launching an aircraft every minute. Propulsion is provided by two nuclear reactors of the same design as those used for the new-generation SSBNs.
