Seasprite shows off in Eagle Salute

The aircraft was one of 10 SH-2Gs ordered in 1995 for use by the Egyptian Naval Force, and was delivered to Egypt in 1997.
Though two of Egypt’s Super Seasprites had been built as SH-2Gs, the aircraft seen in the exercise was one of eight converted from US SH-2F aircraft, which were built for the US Navy in the early 1980s, and which saw extensive service there before being refurbished and converted for Egypt.
Four more SH-2Fs were supplied for use as spares in support of the active SH-2G fleet.
The SH-2Gs serve with No37 Squadron, part of the 545th Tactical Helicopter Brigade, at Alexandria’s Borg Al Arab Air Base, operating alongside the navy’s Westland Sea Kings. They are equipped with AQS-18A dipping sonar, a search radar, and an electronic support measures suite.
Exercise Eagle Salute 18 took place at the Safaga Red Sea Naval Base in Egypt, as a multilateral in-port and surface exercise intended to enhance the interoperability and war-fighting readiness of all participating units, as well as fortifying military-to-military relationships between nations.
Ships from Egypt, the UAE and the US conducted seven days of manoeuvres in the Red Sea, with multiple operational scenarios giving opportunities for surface gunnery, air defence, the protection of high-value units, and employing appropriate tactics against asymmetric threats.
Participating vessels included the Egyptian Naval Force (ENF) guided-missile frigate Sharm El-Sheikh (the former Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Fahrion, which was transferred to Egypt on March 15 1998) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), which represented the US 5th Fleet’s Task Force 55.
The commodore of Task Force 55, Captain Adan Cruz, pointed out: “US and Egyptian forces have common maritime security goals, and so we should continue to exercise routinely to make sure we maintain our interoperability.”