Naval forces from the U.S. and Egypt and several other countries completed the multilateral training exercise Eagle Salute 2017 April 27 after beginning the exercise in the Red Sea on April 23.

Participating U.S. military forces included representatives of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 50/ Task Force (TF) 55, guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) embarked detachment from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70, U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Engagement Team and explosive ordnance disposal personnel. Egyptian military forces included the guided-missile frigate ENS Taba (F 916), fast missile boat FMB 21st October and F-16 fighter aircraft. Representatives from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Pakistan and Italy were present to observe the exercise.

"We are grateful for this opportunity to bolster relations with our Egyptian partners in a region the U.S. has been operating in for over 60 years," said Capt. Chase D. Patrick, commander, DESRON 50/CTF 55. "The events we conducted during Eagle Salute 2017 afforded us the chance to improve interoperability and build confidence in freedom of navigation and the flow of international commerce."

Eagle Salute highlighted various aspects of maritime security operations through a series of events including an air defense drill, live-fire gunnery exercise, coordinated ship maneuverings, and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exchanges. These engagements reaffirmed the partnering maritime forces will maintain a robust naval and air presence in the region. Ultimately, maintaining these critical relationships enhance the overall regional security to preserve the free flow of commerce in the maritime domain.

The exercise also incorporated Eagle Response 2017, an explosive ordnance exercise, to provide opportunities for participating nations to collaborate on a broader range of maritime security operations. These exercises focus on sharing knowledge and experiences in order to further strengthen partnerships.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command conducts more than 25 bilateral and multilateral exercises with partner nations throughout the region each year. Exercise Eagle Salute is one of numerous exercises vital to the U.S. Navy's theater security cooperation efforts in building and enhancing solid regional and international relationships.

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