Egypt receives new French warship

Egypt has Friday officially took possession of a new French warship at Lorient Port in France’s Brittany region, according to reports on Egyptian state television.

At an official ceremony, Vice-Admiral Ahmed Khaled, an Egyptian naval commander, hoisted the Egyptian flag over the Gowind 2500-class corvette.

The vessel, named “Al-Fateh”, will enter Egypt’s naval fleet as part of a deal inked last year that also included the purchase of three other ships to be built in Alexandria with French assistance.

Able to find — and destroy — submarines, the warship is capable of carrying out multiple military tasks, such as securing maritime transport lines and guarding ships and seaports.

Since the rise to power of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2014, relations between Cairo and Paris have been characterized by several major weapons procurement deals.

Source: Anadolu Agency