The US-Egyptian joint military exercises Bright Star 2017, which starts next month, “strengthens military-to-military relationships between US forces and our Egyptian partners,” US Central Command spokesman Josh Jacques told CNN. “The exercise enhances regional security and stability by responding to modern-day security scenarios,” he adds. 2017 will be the first year the US partakes in the joint military exercises since former President Hosni Mubarak was toppled and the scheduled exercises for 2012 were cancelled. Former US President Barack Obama’s administration also cancelled the exercise in 2014 over allegations of human rights abuses by the Egyptian government. Bright Star 2017 is a bilateral “command-post exercise, field training exercise and senior leader seminar” held with Egypt, Jacques says.