Egypt, U.S. host Bright Star military operations in new base

CAIRO – 5 September 2017: Egypt hosts the U.S. biennial military exercise with Egypt called "The Bright Star 2017"on the ground of the newly inaugurated military base, Mohamed Naguib, from September 10 to 20.

The joint military exercises, which dates back to 1980, is marked to be the first since the ouster of ex-President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak following a short hiatus in 2014 ordered by the former American President Barack Obama.

Around 200 U.S. troops are slated to take part in the military exercises, which are aimed at strengthening military cooperation with Egypt, whose role is vital in preserving the regional security and stability.

In late July, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi inaugurated on Saturday Mohamed Naguib base which is considered the biggest military base in the Middle East and Africa.

The new military base includes 1,155 vital facilities, 72 training areas, a major conference hall, a large number of shooting ranges, and residences for the officers, along with 50 solar modules and tank-transporting container of about 451 modern tankers.