Russia, China conduct joint sea and air exercises in Sea of Japan

MOSCOW: Russian and Chinese service members have simulated repelling an aerial attack and other operations as part of the military exercise “North/Interaction-2023,” the Russian Defence Ministry informed report-ers on Friday.

“During practical manoeuvres, Russian and Chinese sailors improved their moving skills in various formations and held communication drills. Next, Russian combat vessels practised a naval engagement with a notional enemy’s warship, performing artillery fire on a surface target using AK-100 and A-190 naval cannons,” the ministry said in a statement. “As part of an exercise to repel an aerial attack by a notional enemy, ships of the task force used anti-aircraft quick-firing weapons on a mock air target,” the statement says.

Later, a floating mine that threatened maritime commerce was destroyed by Russian and Chinese sailors using a machine gun installed on the large anti-submarine cruiser owned by Admiral Tribut of Russia. They also rehearsed fending off an assault from a swift, tiny target, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

The Russian Defense Ministry told reporters on Thursday that the joint Russian-Chinese naval drill ‘North / In-teraction-2023’ is being held on July 20-23 in the Sea of Japan in accordance with the international military coop-eration plan. The primary purpose of the drill is to strengthen naval cooperation between Russia and China, with the overall goal of maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the ministry, the Russian Navy will be represented during the drills by several vessels from the Pa-cific Fleet, including the ASW destroyers Admiral Tributs and Admiral Panteleyev, and the corvettes Aldar Tsyden-zhapov and Gremychy, as well as auxiliary ships. The Russian detachment will be led by Rear Admiral Valery Ka-zakov, commander of the Pacific Fleet’s Primorsky Flotilla, TASS reported.

In addition, more than 30 naval aviation aircraft, including anti-submarine aircraft, helicopters and fighter in-terceptors will be involved in the drills. (ANI)

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