China wraps up navy drills with Russia, Iran in Gulf of Oman amid renewed diplomacy

Military exercises staged as Beijing seeks to forge stronger ties with Middle East nations, Russia
Five-day training event held in key global shipping lane ended on Sunday

China’s military

Zhao Ziwen

Published: 6:00pm, 23 Mar 2023

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China has finished joint naval exercises with Russia and Iran in the Gulf of Oman, as Beijing forges closer ties with both countries under its intensive diplomatic efforts.

The five-day event – dubbed “Security Bond-2023” – ended on Sunday.

China’s South Sea Fleet warship, the Nanning, was dispatched to take part in the exercises. The Type 052D destroyer has been called the “Chinese Aegis” for its benchmarks with the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers.

The Iranian light frigate Jamaran and the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which is armed with hypersonic missiles, also took part in the war games.

The drills included live-fire suppression and strike practise with nighttime communication exercises, according to state-run broadcaster CCTV.

The militaries also conducted anti-terrorism and anti-piracy training, which included a simulated rescue mission to a hijacked merchant ship, the report said.

“The exercise deepened the practical cooperation between the navies … and further showed the willingness and ability to jointly maintain maritime security,” said Qiu Maoxuan, the Nanning’s captain, in an interview with CCTV.

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The Nanning has since returned to escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia.

The drills coincided with the nearby International Maritime Exercise 2023, which finished on March 16 in Oman.

The eighth edition of the US-led event involved 7,000 personnel from more than 50 countries and international bodies, including France, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Nato and Interpol.

The Gulf of Oman is a key shipping lane for major oil producing nations like Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The Nanning was also featured at the International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi in February along with hundreds of other pieces of Chinese military hardware.

In January, the warship was deployed to missions in the Indian Ocean, and also took part in the Pakistan-led multinational Arabian Sea naval exercise AMAN-23.

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China and Russia held a joint naval exercise with host South Africa in February, the second such drill since the three countries held their first military training exercise in 2019.

China’s close military cooperation with Russia and its unprecedented military presence across the Indian Ocean, especially in the Middle East region, come as the country has increased its diplomatic activities.

Beijing has presented itself as an alternative to Washington as it has expanded its diplomatic presence in the Middle East.

Earlier this month, following a deal brokered by Beijing, rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish relations after years of hostilities.