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Naval Forces News - Egypt, France
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Egyptian Navy Using Avengers as Air Defense for its Mistral-class LHD during Cleopatra Exercise
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During the joint French-Egyptian naval exercises "Cleopatra 2017" held from 8 to 11 July 2017, a video released by the Egyptian MoD shows the Anwar El-Sadat (Mistral-class) LHD with four US-made AN/TWQ-1 Avenger on the flight deck acting as point short-range air defence systems.
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 Boeing AN/TWQ-1 Avenger (fitted with Raytheon FIM-92 Stinger missiles) on the flight deck of the Mistral-class LHD Anwar El-Sadat (L 1020) during the joint French-Egyptian naval exercise "Cleopatra 2017". Picture: Ministry of Defense of Egypt |
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The Avenger AN/TWQ-1 Air Defense System vehicle is a missile mounted system which provides mobile, short-range air defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters. In the early 1980s, the then Defence Systems Division of the Boeing Aerospace Company (now The Boeing Company) developed the Avenger air defence system as a private venture. Learn more on the AN/TWQ-1 Air Defense System at ArmyRecognition.com .
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Video: Ministry of Defense of Egypt
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The Cleopatra 2017 exercise took place in the waters of the Red and Mediterranean seas. It involved the French Navy LHD Mistral and Lafayette-class Frigate Courbet (returning to France from the annual training mission "Jeanne d'Arc" which took them to the Indian and Pacific Oceans). Egyptian navy units included the LHD Anwar El-Sadat, as well as seven other warships (including some of the latest units such as the FREMM Frigate Tahya Misr and one of the Ambassador MkIII class missile craft).
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 The French Navy LHD Mistral and the Egyptian Navy LHD Anwar El-Sadat. Picture: French Navy |
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According to the French Navy, the exercise started with a session of tactical evolutions, then the detachment of marines embarked aboard the Mistral was used to carry out a VBSS exercise on the ENS Sadat, which carried out in return the same visit operation on the Courbet.
Anti-surface, anti-air, and live firing exercises were conducted as well as helicopter maneuvers between the vessels. |
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 EDA-R (L-CAT) landing catamarans from both navies were used. Picture: Ministry of Defense of Egypt |
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On 11 July, after crossing the Suez Canal, Cleopatra concluded with an amphibious exercise. The on-board detachment of marine rifles and the amphibious fleet trained on the beach of OUMEID located about 40 nautical miles west of Alexandria. EDA-R (L-CAT) landing catamarans from both navies were used.
On the same day, Admiral Christophe Prazuck, Chief of Staff of the French Navy, and Egyptian Navy Chief of Staff, Vice-Admiral Ahmed Khaled Hassan, were welcomed aboard the Egyptian LHD Nasser. |
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