Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated the “3rd of July” Naval Base on Saturday, in a “message of peace and development for the entire region.”
Here are the facts and missions of the Mediterranean base
Facts:
The base is Egypt’s largest naval base stretching over 10 million square metres.
It is located in Gargoub area, Egypt’s northwest coast which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.
The base comprises 28 armoured combat boats, four Swift boats, two Italian FREMM Bergamini frigates, an Egyptian-manufactured Gowind-class design frigate, and a German-made Type 209 submarine.
It took its name from a history associated with eliminating the motives of hateful terrorism, including the tangible interest in the sea after the 30 June Revolution.
It has a military berth with a length of 1,000 metres and a depth of 14 metres, a number of commercial berths with a length of 2,200 metres and a depth of 17 metres, a port control tower with a height of 29 metres and two breakwaters with a length of 3,650 metres.
It includes 74 facilities, in addition to an airstrip attached to it, a hall for receiving VIP visitors, a number of training fields and an operations centre.
It includes a hotel on 6,300 square metres, a conference hall that can accommodate 700 guests, a sports complex, a 600 capacity open theatre, a service building, an equipped medical point, and a mosque on an area of 1,100 metres.
Missions:
The base will be in charge of securing Egypt’s northern and western strategic borders.
It safeguards Egypt’s economic capabilities, secure shipping routes, and maintain maritime security by using combat groups from land military units, submarines, and air forces.
It will help in protecting navigation in the Suez Canal.
The base will help in confronting illegal immigration as well as combating smuggling.
It will act as provider of the logistical support for the Egyptian troops in the Red and Mediterranean seas to confront any challenges and threats that may exist in the region.