Photos: Chief of staff attends final phase of Egypt-US joint exercise ‘bright star’ involving 44 nations

CAIRO – 11 September 2025: Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Ahmed Khalifa attended the final phase of Bright Star 25 exercise, co-hosted by Egypt and the United States, with the participation of 44 countries.

The final phase included the execution of a series of naval training activities, said the Egyptian Armed Forces’ spokesman.

Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General Dimitrios Choupis, alongside a number of senior commanders from the Egyptian Armed Forces and participating nations witnessed the final phase of the training.

 

The phase commenced with a comprehensive briefing on the activities conducted, which included:

- Naval surface gunnery drills with various calibers to counter asymmetric threats,

- Boarding and inspection procedures on a suspected vessel,

- Amphibious assault operations on a hostile shore executed by special forces via naval insertion and airborne drops,

- Precision air strikes by multi-role aircraft against pre-designated coastal targets,

- Ground force operations to secure and repel hostile amphibious landings.

 

The training activities demonstrated a high level of professionalism, combat readiness, and the ability to execute complex missions with precision and speed under operational conditions.

Khalifa commended the outstanding performance of all participating forces, emphasizing that the advanced combat capabilities and high readiness displayed reflect the depth of coordination and preparation invested to ensure the success of the exercise.

He further expressed his anticipation for broader international participation in future editions of the “Bright Star,” with the aim of maximizing the exchange of military expertise and reinforcing joint operational cooperation.

 

Greecen’s Choupis, for his part, praised the performance of the forces from various nations, highlighting their ability to operate jointly in a fully coordinated manner to accomplish the designated training objectives.

On the sidelines of the exercise, Khalifa met with Regional Director of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Nicolas Von Arx. The chief of staff expressed appreciation for the ICRC active role and valuable contributions to Bright Star 25.

Bright Star 25 took place from 28 August to 10 September, with 44 nations participating: 14 actively involved and 30 serving as observers.

The exercise took place at the Mohamed Naguib Military Base in northern Egypt’s Matrouh, and several air and naval bases across the country.