Sovereignty and military relations
ONE certainty in military relations is that they are strategic, and last for years or decades due to their nature and balance. They require an exchange of joint interests and perhaps unity of destiny or goals that are achieved due to this extended relationship.
A relationship of armament between countries requires political consensus on vision, and is built on common threats to both sides because, by nature, it is an extended relationship that begins at a moment of need for a type of weapon, then stages of negotiations for purchase, then training and decades of supplying spare parts, maintenance, providing enough ammunition for training, as well as use in military operations.
There are also joint military games and training between armies and specialised units that primarily aim at exchanging know-how, unifying understandings, co-ordinating joint weapons on land, sea and air battlefields, as well as benefiting from modern weapon techniques and how to use these capabilities in battle.
Military observers, news agencies and think tanks have pondered the participation of Egypt’s military in three war games with three international and regional powers simultaneously. These are countries that have strategic relations and political alliances with Egypt, and are engaged in several key issues, which reflects Egypt’s foreign policies that were formed after the June 30, 2013 revolution.
Egypt is hosting the Bright Star military training with US forces at the Mohamed Naguib Military Base and on the north-west coast, a comprehensive military exercise involving all weapons and ammunition.
This comes after a hiatus of many years due to political tension with the administration of former US president Barack Obama, which had pressured Cairo – including by meddling in military and economic aid, and halting several arms deals and maintenance and training contracts – to keep political Islam and violent terrorist groups in power in Egypt and other regional countries following what is known as the Arab Spring.