Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production, witnessed the execution of the main phase of the tactical exercise “Badr 2026,” conducted with live ammunition by a unit of the Third Field Army.
The event was attended by Lieutenant General Ahmed Khalifa, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, commanders of the main branches, a number of governors, members of the House of Representatives and Senate, senior Armed Forces commanders, cadets from military colleges and institutes, media representatives, and Egyptian university students, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Major General Ahmed Mahdy Sarhan, Commander of the Third Field Army, delivered a speech in which he affirmed that personnel of the Third Field Army exert their utmost effort to maintain the highest levels of efficiency and combat readiness, enabling them to carry out all assigned missions in defense of the nation’s security and safety, regardless of the sacrifices required.
The main phase of the exercise commenced with a briefing outlining the tactical concept and previous activities. It included the management of combat operations to develop the attack, supported by elements of the Air Force, which carried out reconnaissance, security, and support sorties to assist ground forces under the protection provided by air defense systems and artillery fire. These efforts were aimed at suppressing and destroying enemy defenses and fire capabilities, as well as impeding the advance of enemy reserves.
Armored and mechanized units were then deployed to breach enemy defenses, engage, and eliminate them, with support from armed helicopters and anti-tank guided missile units to counter enemy counterattacks. Special forces elements, including airborne and commando units, also executed airborne insertion and raid operations to destroy identified targets.
At the conclusion of the phase, Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher conveyed the greetings and appreciation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, expressing his pride in the efforts of Armed Forces personnel in fulfilling all assigned missions and duties.
He emphasized that the Armed Forces continue to exert every effort to maintain their combat systems, weapons, and equipment, and remain committed to developing a well-rounded, highly trained, and aware combatant in accordance with the most advanced modern training methods.
He further affirmed that, with their capabilities and resources across all specializations, the Armed Forces are fully capable of protecting the nation and safeguarding its sanctities amid the ongoing regional challenges and transformations. He commended the high level of readiness and combat preparedness demonstrated by the participating elements, as well as the precision and efficiency in executing combat and fire missions.
He also noted that the activities and training conducted during the exercise send a message of reassurance to the Egyptian people regarding the Armed Forces’ constant readiness to defend national security across all strategic directions.
In a related context, Lieutenant General Ahmed Khalifa, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, also observed one of the exercise phases, which included operations to breach the forward edge of enemy defenses with support from the Air Force. He engaged in discussions with several commanders and officers participating in the exercise on planning and managing missions, as well as methods of addressing unexpected tactical situations that may arise during various stages of combat. (Source & Photo: © Egyptian Ministry of Defense)
