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Russian, Egyptian troops hold air defense drills near Cairo

The drills involve only Russian-made armament and military hardware

Tor-M2 missile system Sergei Bobylev/Russian Defense Ministry Press Office/TASS

Tor-M2 missile system

© Sergei Bobylev/Russian Defense Ministry Press Office/TASS

CAIRO, November 7. /TASS/. Air defense troops from Russia and Egypt live-fired surface-to-to air missile systems during their Arrow of Friendship-2019 joint drills near Cairo, the press office of Russia’s Southern Military District reported on Thursday.

The Russian-Egyptian Arrow of Friendship air defense drills are running on October 26 - November 7. More than 100 personnel of the Southern Military District are representing Russia in the joint maneuvers.

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Russian-Egyptian air defense forces start drills in Egypt

"For the first time in modern history, the joint air defense units of Russia and Egypt held a live-fire exercise, employing various surface-to-air missile systems at the international drills near Cairo," the press office said in a statement.

"The joint battalions of Buk-M2E and Tor-M2E anti-aircraft missile systems intercepted and shot down an enemy’s unmanned aerial vehicle as it was approaching the aerodrome. Also, the joint teams of Igla-S man-portable air defense systems mounted on cross country pickup trucks eliminated an adversary helicopter while the combined units of Shilka-M4 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns destroyed the notional enemy’s light armored vehicles and manpower," the statement says.

The international drills involve only Russian-made armament and military hardware. The maneuvers were observed by Russia’s Air Defense Force Chief Lieutenant-General Alexander Leonov and Commander of Egypt’s Air Defense Troops Lieutenant-General Ali Fahmi.

"The firings were successful. All the targets involved in the drills were struck by one missile," the press office quoted Leonov as saying.

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