The first of two French-made warships sold to Egypt arrived off the coast of Alexandria on Thursday (June 23rd), AFP reported.
Two local television channels broadcast live footage of the Mistral assault ship as it approached the main port on the northern coast of Egypt.
The ship, named "Gamal Abdel Nasser", left the shipyard of Saint-Nazaire on June 12th. Its sister ship, which will be named after Nasser's successor, Anwar al-Sadat, is expected to arrive in September.
Egypt bought the two Mistrals for around $1.1 billion, with financial help from Saudi Arabia.
The delivery is part of a $5.6 billion deal Cairo signed with Paris in February 2015 to purchase 24 Rafale multi-role combat jets, a frigate and missiles.
The Mistral is a versatile vessel that can carry out amphibious assaults, act as a hospital ship, command a fleet or act as a helicopter carrier. It has capacity for 16 helicopters, four landing craft, 13 tanks and up to 700 troops.
