The US handed over to Egypt on June 17 two speed missile boats via Alexandria harbour, according to a statement by the US embassy in Cairo.

The statement said the two missile boats will directly be used in the maritime security in the vital waterway of Suez Canal and the Red Sea, adding that the delivery of the two boats gave a sign of the US commitment towards Egypt and to achieve joint security interests in Egypt and the region.

The two boats worth dlrs 1.1 billion and could contribute to regional security and terrorism combat as well as protection of international trade.

The speed missile boats project was launched in 2005 upon an initiative from the US Department of Defense which outlined a plan to produce maritime boats for the Egyptian government.

The project of the boats, with high speed and combat abilities, crowned ten years of close cooperation between the Egyptian and American Naval forces.