The ministry’s primary role is to meet needs of armed forces and police in terms of ammunition, weapons and equipment CAIRO: Mohamed Ahmed Morsi, Egypt’s minister of state for military production, held talks with Raymond Piselli, vice president of Lockheed Martin, and Joseph Rank, CEO of the American defense company in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Africa, on ways to enhance cooperation. Morsi stressed the ministry’s primary role, which is to meet the needs of the armed forces and police in terms of ammunition, weapons and equipment. He also reviewed the manufacturing, technological and human capabilities of the military production companies and units that can be a point of cooperation with the American company. Morsi noted the Ministry of Military Production’s interest in benefiting from the expertise of Lockheed Martin, stressing the ministry’s eagerness to localize the latest global technologies in military industries and conclude a strategic partnership in advance defense systems that would benefit both sides. He referenced the recent economic reforms that Egypt implemented, which have contributed to the country’s growing presence in the field of security and defense, evident in the organization of Egypt’s Defense Exhibition at the end of last year. Piselli gave a presentation on the American company, currently considered one of the largest military industry companies in the world, manufacturing radars, battle tanks, missiles, aircraft, train operating systems, flight training systems and technology laboratories. He affirmed the company’s interest in cooperating with Egypt in military manufacturing due to the country’s significant capabilities in this field, which prompted Lockheed Martin to participate as a golden sponsor for the second edition of EDEX. Rank stressed that military cooperation between the US and Egypt has been an essential component of their strategic partnership for nearly 40 years. He added that Lockheed Martin adopts a three-pillar approach in its cooperation with partners, which includes knowledge transfer, localization of industries and human capital development. He said that the company is keen to contribute to the development of the defense industries sector in partner countries. Rank expressed his hope that this meeting would play an important role in opening new doors for investment and cooperation.