Naval Exercise Begins
The Chinese and Russian navies officially launched the ‘Joint Sea-2026’ naval exercise on Monday, with drills set to run until July 13 in the Yellow Sea and airspace near Qingdao.
Footage shows the Russian Slava-class guided-missile cruiser Varyag, the naval rescue vessel Igor Belousov, the Project 636.3 diesel-electric attack submarine Ufa and the Steregushchiy-class corvette Rezkiy arriving at port.
China says its forces include vessels from the Northern Theatre Command Navy, including guided-missile destroyers, a guided-missile frigate and a submarine, as well as a supply ship and rescue vessel. Both sides are also deploying shipborne helicopters and other marine units.
Joint Military Drills
The drills will cover coordination in air defence and joint reconnaissance, maritime strikes and search-and-rescue operations.
A notable feature of this year’s exercise is the extensive use of unmanned systems, as well as countermeasures against them.
Pacific Patrol Planned
After the drills, forces from both sides are due to move into what China described as relevant areas of the Pacific Ocean for a joint maritime patrol.
The patrol will extend into waters beyond Qingdao, giving the two navies another chance to test coordination during longer-range operations.
Article by Viory
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