![Soldiers disembark off an Egyptian Air Force CH-47 Chinook helicopter during the "Guardians of the Nile" joint military drill between Egypt and Sudan in the Um Sayyala area, northwest of Khartoum, on May 31, 2021. [ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-1233202979-scaled-e1622885046635.jpeg?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
The Egyptian Army announced on Friday the conclusion of the Sky Guardians 1 air manoeuvre, held in cooperation with Pakistan for the first time in the country.
On 26 May, Egypt announced launching a joint military exercise with Pakistan to: “Work on securing airspace and defending vital targets.”
According to a statement issued by Egyptian military spokesperson Brigadier General Tamer Al-Rifai: “The activities of the Sky Guardians 1 joint drill held by the Egyptian and Pakistani air defence forces for the first time in Egypt have been concluded.”
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The statement indicated that the military exercises included: “Launching missiles towards air targets and firing anti-aircraft artillery in the direction of ground and air targets, with the aim of detecting, identifying, handling and destroying hostile targets.”
Commander of the Pakistan Air Force, Lieutenant-General Uz Zaman Khan, stressed: “The joint drill carried out with the Egyptian Air Force reflects the strategic partnership and cooperation between the two countries,” according to the statement.
The region, which has been undergoing a proliferation of armed conflicts, has witnessed the implementation of numerous joint military exercises, either between Arab countries or with Western countries, especially in recent months.