Russian and Egyptian paratroopers in the final stage of a joint exercise practiced liberating a populated area from terrorists and providing humanitarian aid to residents, a RIA Novosti correspondent reports.
The final stage of the Defenders of Friendship exercise took place in Egypt on Wednesday at the Wadi Sakran training range in a desert area 60 kilometers east of Cairo. Paratroopers from Russia, together with their counterparts from the paratrooper troops of the Egyptian Armed Forces, were learning to act together during the week, carrying out practical parachuting on parachute systems of various modifications, practicing parachute-less landing and anti-terrorist training and combat tasks in the desert terrain.
During the active phase of the exercise, more than 200 paratroopers from Russia and Egypt performed parachuting, including using guided parachutes of the "wing" system, from an altitude of 600 to 3,500 meters.
The operation against the simulated enemy, who had occupied the border village, was started by reconnaissance units, which landed from IL-76MD aircraft at an altitude of about 3,000 meters. Once they occupied the area, the reconnaissance units conducted a reconnaissance of the terrain. This was followed by the landing of equipment: six assault vehicles (BMD-2K-AU) with a parachute-free system.
After blockading a populated area, the exercise participants released simulated hostages and "liquidated" 160 simulated insurgents who refused to surrender, 90 were "captured".
The exercise also included a landing with the aim of capturing the command post of the simulated enemy.
At the end of the operation humanitarian aid was delivered to the liberated village.
Colonel general Andrei Serdyukov, commander of airborne troops of Russia, Atef Mady, commander of paratrooper troops of Egypt and ambassador of Russia in Egypt Georgy Borisenko watched the exercise.
Addressing the paratroopers of both countries Serdyukov thanked them for the successful accomplishment of their mission, praised their professionalism and wished them success in their future activities.
In turn, Mady praised the coordinated actions of the joint group and the professional level of training of the troops, pointing to the need for further coordination and the continuation of the exchange of experience to combat terrorism in the world.
On Wednesday, four Il-76MD aircraft participated in the active phase of the exercise, while from the Egyptian side C-130 Hercules, C-295 Casa and Chinook heavy military transport helicopters took part.
Exercises "Defenders of Friendship-2021" will take place in Egypt from October 17 to 29, with the participation of more than 500 military of Russia and Egypt. This is the fifth joint exercise: the first one took place in 2016 in Egyptian Alexandria.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from RIA Novosti