The multinational joint exercise MEDUSA-15 began today, Thursday, September 10, 2026, with the participation of Greece, Egypt, the Republic of Cyprus, France and Italy, focusing on the wider maritime area of Crete and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The exercise will run through September 19, while the first operational activities are taking place southeast of Crete and south of Karpathos. Fighter jets, warships, unmanned systems and Special Forces from the participating countries are being deployed in the field.
This year’s iteration confirms MEDUSA’s gradual expansion from its traditional Egypt-Greece-Cyprus core into a multinational training activity with a strong European footprint. The participation of France and Italy adds two major Mediterranean naval and air powers to the common operational environment.
The exercise provides an opportunity to exchange operational experience, become familiar with modern military tactics and strengthen the ability to conduct joint operations. The scope of the previous iteration also illustrates MEDUSA’s broader philosophy: not isolated joint-training events, but coordinated action by different service branches and national forces within a single operational environment.
Air and naval operations and modern threats
The operational component of this year’s MEDUSA-15 includes a broad range of air and naval activities. According to available information on the exercise plan, frigates, submarines, fast combat vessels, fighter aircraft and Special Operations units are expected to participate, alongside increased use of unmanned systems.
Particular emphasis is being placed on UAVs, USVs, FPV drones and counter-unmanned aircraft systems, reflecting the adaptation of training to the realities shaped by modern battlefields. Planned activities also include cooperation between naval and air units, special and amphibious operations, search and rescue, electronic warfare and the protection of critical infrastructure.
Training is also planned around the protection of energy installations, research vessels and maritime infrastructure, areas that have acquired greater importance for the armed forces of Eastern Mediterranean states.
Two days after the El Alamein trilateral summit
The launch of MEDUSA-15 comes just two days after the trilateral summit of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece in El Alamein on September 8. There, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reaffirmed their determination to further deepen the trilateral cooperation mechanism.
In their joint declaration, the three countries underscored the importance of peace, security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as the need to respect international law. Particular reference was made to the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
For years, the Egyptian side has linked trilateral military cooperation with addressing common challenges in the region. Earlier agreements between the three countries’ defense ministers identified counterterrorism, search and rescue, and the protection of maritime targets, energy infrastructure and sea lines of communication as fields for joint training.
MEDUSA-15 carries this cooperation from the political and diplomatic level into the operational field. For Athens, Cairo and Nicosia, the exercise is an established mechanism for maintaining interoperability and the capacity for joint action, while the presence of France and Italy significantly broadens its multinational footprint.
The fact that the activities are taking place southeast of Crete and south of Karpathos adds further operational significance to this year’s exercise. This is a pivotal area for maritime communications and the energy security of the Eastern Mediterranean, where five countries will spend the coming days testing in practice their ability to operate together, while also sending a message to Turkey.
Original article: NemesisHD.gr
