BORG AL-ARAB /Egypt/, October 15. /TASS/. Over 200 Russian servicemen have arrived in Egypt to participate in the joint Russian-Egypt counterterrorism exercise 2016 Friendship Defenders, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press department said on Saturday.

The 2016 Friendship Defenders exercise of Russian and Egyptian Airborne Troops will be held near the Egyptian city of Alexandria on October 15-26.

"Five Ilyushin Il-76MD planes have brought over 200 Russian servicemen from Russia’s Airborne Troops and Military Transport Aviation to the area of the drills," the ministry’s spokesman said. "Overall, Russian servicemen have covered 3,000 kilometers before landing in Africa."

Besides troops, over 500 kilos of field rations and 50 Arbalet-1 and Arbalet-2 parachute systems, 70 D-10 parachutes were airlifted to Egypt.

The 2016 Friendship Defenders exercise will involve more than 15 helicopters and planes, 10 items of air-droppable military hardware and over 500 Russian and Egyptian servicemen. The maneuvers will take place at several airfields.