Cyprus drills hone skills on conflict evacuations

Seven countries including the U.S., France, Italy, Israel and Greece have taken part in a series of drills in and around Cyprus designed to ease civilian evacuations from conflict zones and to conduct offshore rescue operations.

For the first time, Egypt took part in the Friday leg of the annual drill with its own military forces, while Saudi Arabia sent a delegation of observers to “Argonaut 2022," which Cyprus has billed as one of the most important civilian evacuation drills in the world.

The exercise culminated in a search and rescue operation with vessels and aircraft simulating what Cypriot officials described as a “serious maritime accident” off the East Mediterranean island nation's southern coast.

First held 15 years ago, the exercise took place this year after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19 restrictions.