The ships participating in the exercise include the pair of Russian Pacific Fleet corvettes Gromkiy and Rezkiy, as well as Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Type 052D destroyer Nanning, two Type 054A frigates and replenishment vessel Weishanhu.
Gromkiy has been part of the Russian Pacific Fleet since 2018, while Rezkiy joined in 2023. Both Project 20380 corvettes are armed with Uran anti-ship missiles, Redut anti-aircraft missiles, and A-190 artillery systems.
Nanning, a Type 052D destroyer commissioned in 2016, is equipped with universal vertical launching systems for anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-air missiles.
Type 054A frigates are equipped with anti-ship missiles, torpedo launchers, anti-submarine rockets, and surface-to-air missiles to handle diverse threats.
During the exercise, Russian and Chinese warships are expected to engage in live fire drills involving missiles, artillery and anti-aircraft weaponry.
The exercise is also going to include anti-submarine drills involving anti-submarine aircraft of the China’s People’s Liberation Army, and a mock rescue operation.
The first joint Russo-Chinese naval exercise was held in 2005. Since 2012, such exercises are being held on a regular basis.
This year’s naval drills are being carried out as the United States and its NATO allies criticize China over its close relations with Russia.
During the NATO summit earlier this month, the bloc members’ leaders even branded China as Russia’s “enabler” in the Ukrainian conflict, quietly omitting NATO’s own role in triggering and prolonging said conflict.
Meanwhile, both Moscow and Beijing stress that their joint exercises are not a threat to anyone and merely help Russian and Chinese navy personnel to share experience.