Exercise Bright Star 25 concludes in Egypt. More than 40 nations strengthen regional security and interoperability

The curtains have closed on Exercise Bright Star 25, one of the largest multinational military training events in the Middle East and North Africa. Co-hosted by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF), the exercise ran from August 28 to September 10, 2025, uniting forces from more than 40 nations across five continents. It encompassed land, air, sea, cyber, and special operations components, as well as command-post planning, senior leader engagements, and humanitarian simulations – all aimed at sharpening collective readiness and fostering enduring strategic partnerships.

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13 september 2025 | 13:27 | Source: Gazeta Morska | Prepared by: Kamil Kusier | Print

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Strategic context and objectives

Bright Star traces its origins to the early 1980s, born out of the Camp David Accords and aimed at building mutual confidence and interoperability among coalition partners. Over the decades, it has evolved into a premier multinational event, with Bright Star 25 representing perhaps the most complex and multidomain edition to date.

This year’s exercise placed particular emphasis on:

Joint crisis-response planning under realistic conditions,
Integrated air and missile defence coordination,
Counter-terrorism operations including urban warfare scenarios,
Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR),
Cyber and electronic warfare resilience,
Combined arms live-fire drills (CALFEX) to validate combat effectiveness.

Egyptian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ahmed Khalifa, who personally inspected preparations and observed key events, underscored the value of the exercise:

- Bright Star is not only a demonstration of military strength but also of unity. The scale of this exercise and the expertise exchanged strengthen the capacity of all participating forces to defend peace, stability, and their national sovereignty.

Opening ceremony and leadership engagement

The exercise officially opened on August 28 with a ceremony at Mohamed Naguib Military Base. Senior representatives from Egypt, the United States, and partner nations gathered to reaffirm their commitment to joint training. On August 27, Lt. Gen. Khalifa toured the base, engaged with U.S. service members, and received operational briefings.

A Senior Leader Seminar was held concurrently, bringing together chiefs of defence, combatant commanders, and international observers to discuss regional security dynamics, hybrid threats, and interoperability initiatives. Discussions covered maritime security in the Eastern Mediterranean, countering unmanned systems, and lessons learned from joint operations in the Sahel and Red Sea regions.

Command-post exercise (CPX) and crisis simulation

At the heart of Bright Star 25 was a Command-Post Exercise, led by Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Coalition staffs worked through complex scenarios involving:

Non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO),
Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incident response,
Embassy reinforcement missions,
Humanitarian logistics in the wake of simulated natural disasters.

Brig. Gen. Stephen J. Lightfoot, commanding general of TF 51/5, remarked:

- Working shoulder-to-shoulder with regional and coalition partners, TF 51/5 sharpens key mission sets and demonstrates its capability as CENTCOM’s Joint Task Force Headquarters – reassuring allies of its readiness to respond to any crisis.

Field training and live exercises

The Field Training Exercise (FTX) phase translated plans into action. Highlights included:

Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercise (CALFEX) integrating armour, artillery, attack helicopters, and close air support,
Joint air assault operations featuring multinational helicopter insertions,
Amphibious landings along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast,
Urban combat scenarios with live-fire room-clearing drills,
Special operations raids simulating terrorist stronghold takedowns.

One of the most symbolic moments came on September 7, when 89 military free-fall jumpers from 13 nations – including Egypt, the U.S., Greece, Italy, Jordan, South Africa, and others – parachuted carrying their national flags, a vivid display of unity and commitment.

Maritime and naval cooperation

Naval forces played a pivotal role, with Italian Navy amphibious ship Nave Trieste and fregata Nave Fasan participating under the banner of Operazione Mediterraneo Sicuro.
Maritime drills included:

Surface warfare manoeuvres and live gunnery,
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) hunts supported by maritime patrol aircraft,
Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) exercises,
Naval medical assistance drill aboard INS Trikand at Ras Al Tin Naval Base, involving U.S., Greek, Indian, and Italian sailors sharing medical procedures and equipment familiarisation.

A final PHOTEX (photo exercise) brought together participating ships in tactical formation, creating a powerful image of coalition solidarity.

Greek and Italian contributions

Greece deployed Army aviation assets, Hellenic Navy units, Hellenic Air Force fighters, and Special Warfare Command detachments (ΔΕΠ). Greek Chief of Defence Gen. Dimitrios Choupis attended the Distinguished Visitors Day (DV Day), met with Egypt’s Defence Minister Gen. Abdel Mageed Saqr and Lt. Gen. Khalifa, and discussed strategic cooperation and Eastern Mediterranean security.

Italy’s significant naval presence reflected its continued commitment to regional stability, with Italian marines conducting joint boarding drills, coastal raids, and humanitarian operations alongside Egyptian counterparts.

Multinational and interagency participation

India sent one of the largest contingents, with over 700 personnel representing all three services. Additional participants included the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), who contributed expertise on civilian protection and humanitarian coordination.

The involvement of African, European, and Gulf partners ensured a broad, realistic spectrum of collaboration, demonstrating Bright Star’s global relevance.

Closing ceremony and strategic takeaways

The exercise concluded on September 10 with a closing ceremony attended by senior military officials, defence attachés, and international media. Lt. Gen. Khalifa praised the professionalism of all participants and conveyed greetings from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Greek Gen. Choupis also paid tribute to history by visiting the Greek War Memorial at El Alamein, laying a wreath in honour of fallen soldiers from WWII – a gesture underlining the shared sacrifices of allied nations across generations.

Bright Star 25’s comprehensive approach – combining CPX, FTX, humanitarian elements, and strategic dialogue – reaffirmed its place as CENTCOM’s flagship coalition exercise. Planning is already underway for the next iteration, which will likely expand focus on hybrid warfare, space and cyber operations, and climate-related security scenarios.

As U.S. Army Maj. Doug Lapel summarised:

- Bright Star offers a global stage for unified partnership and training. It connects CENTCOM with AFRICOM and EUCOM partners in a way that strengthens regional stability and builds trust – ensuring that when crises arise, we respond as one team.

Bright Star thus remains a cornerstone of collective defence and cooperative security architecture, projecting stability across North Africa, the Levant, and beyond.

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Kamil Kusier
redaktor naczelny

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