Overview
- The coastal phase of Joint Sea‑2026 in Qingdao ended this week after ship visits, combined staff planning and cultural and sporting exchanges between crews.
- Ships from both navies have sailed to the Yellow Sea to begin the maritime phase, where planned activities include anti‑submarine warfare, a simulated submarine rescue using a deep‑submergence rescue vehicle, air‑defence drills and live‑fire gunnery practice.
- Russian participants include the cruiser Varyag, corvette Rezky, diesel submarine Ufa and rescue ship Igor Belousov while China deployed destroyers Anshan and Kaifeng, frigate Wuhu, a Yuan‑class submarine, replenishment ship Kekexilihu and rescue vessel Yangchenghu.
- Chinese officials led initial exercise planning and said they aim to learn operational rescue and anti‑submarine techniques from Russia, while Russian personnel showed strong interest in the Kaifeng’s 64‑cell vertical launch system during ship tours.
- Joint Sea exercises have run since 2012 and this iteration both deepens practical interoperability between Beijing and Moscow and follows a rare public Chinese submarine‑launched ballistic missile event that analysts said showcased advances in China’s sea‑based capabilities.