Chinese warships arrive in waters near Chabahar, Iran, on March 11, 2024. The navies of China, Iran, and Russia are holding joint naval drills in the Gulf of Oman from March 11 to 15, the Ministry of National Defense of China announced on Monday. Photo: VCG
Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that China will soon hold a joint naval exercise with Iran and Russia near Iran, with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy sending a destroyer and a replenish ship. Chinese experts said the routine drill helps safeguard security in the strategically important energy shipping region and is crucial to global peace and stability.
In early and mid-March, navies of China, Iran and Russia will hold the Security Belt-2025 joint exercise in areas near Iran's Chabahar Port, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced in its official Weibo account on Sunday.
The drill will feature training courses including maritime target strike, VBSS (visit, board, search, and seizure), damage control as well as joint search and rescue operations, according to a statement from the ministry.
It aims to deepen military mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation among the participating countries' troops, according to the statement.
Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday that naval forces from Iran, Russia and China are going to stage a joint exercise in the northern parts of the Indian Ocean off the coasts of Iran's southeastern port city of Chabahar on Monday.
The drill is aimed at strengthening regional security, promoting multilateral cooperation, and expressing the capabilities of the participants to protect world peace, ensure maritime security, and create a sea-based community with a common future, Tasnim reported, noting that the three countries' naval forces will also practice exercises to ensure the security of international maritime trade, combat piracy and terrorism, exchange information on maritime rescue and relief operations, and share the operational and tactical experiences.
Security Belt-2025 will be the fifth China-Iran-Russia joint naval exercise since 2019.
Joint exercises among China, Iran and Russia have become routine, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.
As revealed by the Chinese Defense Ministry, the drill will mainly focus on training courses in non-traditional security fields, and this is conducive to the safeguard of security in the region, Song said.
The exercise will take place off the Iranian port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman, a crucial gateway between the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, making it a strategic pathway crucial to energy shipping, Song said, noting that the three countries participating in the drills have energy cooperation as well as important strategic interests in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
China will send the destroyer
Baotou and the replenishment ship
Gaoyouhu from the PLA Navy's 47th escort task group, the Defense Ministry stated.
The
Baotou is a Type 052D guided missile destroyer, and the
Gaoyouhu is a Type 903A comprehensive replenishment ship. Before this drill, the two PLA Navy warships also took part in the AMAN-2025 multinational maritime exercise in Pakistan in early to mid-February.
Zhang Junshe, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that warships from the PLA Navy's escort task groups to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia frequently participate in joint exercises with foreign countries.
The Type 052D destroyer and Type 903A replenishment ship form a flotilla capable of diverse military operations with strong combat power and endurance, Zhang said.
The trilateral exercise is not targeted at any third party, Zhang said, noting that the drill among the three countries, which are key forces to peace in the world, yields key significance to peace and stability in the world.
