In South Africa, Russian and Chinese warships have arrived in Cape Town for their first naval exercises with South Africa in a demonstration of shifting allegiances.
The Russian Navy has sent its Slava class guided-missile cruiser, Marshal Ustinov. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China has deployed its frigate, Weifang, to join their host’s SAS Amatola off South Africa’s second city.
It is the first time the three countries have held such an exercise, and comes just two years after a PLAN fleet crossed the equator into the Indian Ocean for the first time.
The vessels were greeted by SA Navy Flag Officer Fleet, Rear Admiral Bulele Mhlana, PLAN Rear Admiral Zongcheng Liu and Russian Rear Admiral Vladimir Ivanovich Zemskov.
The exercise is scheduled to take place off the southern Cape Coast over the period 25 to 30 November. The drill, code-named Mosi, is meant to train “a multinational task force to react to and counter security threats at sea”, according to the South African military.
It is expected to include surface gunnery exercises, cross-deck helicopter landings, boarding operations, anti-piracy drills and disaster control exercises.
According to the South African Navy (SAN), the exercise is primarily focused on maritime economic security, interoperability and maintaining the good relations between the participating navies.
It is expected to include surface gunnery exercises, cross-deck helicopter landings, boarding operations, anti-piracy drills and disaster control exercises.
The alongside phase will focus on finalisation of planning, finalisation of sea programmes as well as military social and cultural activities amongst others.