Moscow: Warships of Russia’s Pacific Fleet and the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China conducted missile and artillery firing in the Sea of Japan as part of the Ocean 2024 exercises, the Russian Defence Ministry told reporters.
“In the Sea of Japan, warships of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy and the People’s Liberation Army of China, acting as part of a joint detachment, worked out complex tasks with live firing of missile weapons and artillery as part of the Ocean 2024 strategic command and staff exercise,” the ministry said.
More than 15 warships participated in this episode of the exercise from the Russian side, it added.
“The actions of the naval forces were supported by more than 10 aircraft and helicopters of the Naval Aviation of the Pacific Fleet and the Russian Aerospace Forces. The destroyers Xining and Wuxi, as well as the frigate Lin Yi, participated from the Chinese side,” the statement says.
The actions of the crews of Russian and Chinese ships at sea were observed from the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate by 24 representatives from 10 countries.
On Tuesday, the formations and associations of the Russian Navy began the Ocean 2024 strategic command and staff exercises, which will last until September 16. The drills are being held in a bilateral format under the general leadership of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm. Alexander Moiseyev.
The maneuvers in the waters of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Mediterranean, Caspian, and Baltic Seas involve more than 400 warships, submarines, and auxiliary fleet support vessels; more than 120 aircraft and helicopters of the naval aviation of the Navy and the Aerospace Forces, about 7,000 units of weapons, military, and special equipment, as well as more than 90,000 personnel.
Ocean is the code name for naval exercises conducted by the General Command of the Soviet Navy in 1970, 1975, 1977, 1983 and 1985. The Ocean exercises (maneuvers) were the largest operational and combat training events of the Soviet Navy in the post-war period and the largest in world history at that time.
