The “Bright Star 2025” exercise began Saturday in Egypt with the participation of the Saudi Armed Forces, alongside several brotherly and friendly forces.
Head of the Saudi Armed Forces Training and Development Authority Major General Adel bin Mohammed Al-Balawi said the exercise aims to enhance military cooperation, develop joint operational concepts, and boost the readiness and operational coordination of the participating forces.
He added that this will be achieved through a series of activities, including command post exercises, field operations, and naval drills in the area of operations, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The Bright Star 2025 exercise, held at Mohamed Naguib Military Base and several air and naval bases, includes joint operations in counterterrorism, irregular warfare, logistics support, medical evacuation, and maritime security, including amphibious operations. It also features live-fire exercises and drills simulating strategic mobility to respond to emergency situations.
The command post exercise within the drill seeks to develop the skills of commanders and staff in planning, executing, and leading joint operations, enhance the efficiency of participating forces in unit coordination procedures, and test command, control, and communication systems at various levels.
The 19th edition of the exercise is taking place from 28 August to 10 September and is expected to be one of the largest military drills in the Middle East. This year’s exercise will involve 43 countries, with 13 participating directly through more than 7,900 soldiers and 30 others joining as observers, Egyptian Armed Forces spokesperson said.
First launched in 1980 as a bilateral US–Egypt drill, Bright Star has since developed into a multinational exercise aimed at bolstering regional security, strengthening military cooperation, and improving interoperability among partner forces.
Last week witnessed the arrival of the bulk of participating forces through multiple designated points of entry, paving the way for the commencement of the exercise’s activities, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense reported.
Affirming the General Command of the Egyptian Armed Forces’ keenness to ensure the highest levels of readiness and operational coordination, Lieutenant General Ahmed Khalifa, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, conducted an extensive field inspection of the final arrangements for hosting this significant exercise at Mohamed Naguib Military Base on Thursday (photo).
During the inspection tour, the Chief of Staff received a comprehensive briefing outlining the full spectrum of measures undertaken, which reflect the meticulous planning and advanced preparations dedicated to hosting one of the world’s largest and most prominent joint military exercises.
He further observed a series of preliminary specialized training activities scheduled to precede the official commencement of the exercise, extending his appreciation and cordial welcome to all participating contingents.
Lieutenant General Khalifa lauded the exemplary efforts exerted by the organizing bodies to ensure that this edition of the exercise attains distinction across all domains. He directed the continuation and intensification of efforts to optimize the utilization of available capabilities and resources in order to achieve the strategic objectives of the exercise and to present it in a manner befitting the stature of the Egyptian Armed Forces - whose professionalism continues to command the trust and respect of their counterparts regionally and internationally.
The inspection was attended by a number of Senior Commanders of the Armed Forces. (SPA; Egyptian Ministry of Defense; Photo © Egyptian Ministry of Defense)
