The Chinese and Russian navies are to kick off a nine-day joint drill in the Sea of Japan on Thursday, their second so far this year.
A total of 23 vessels and two submarines will participate in the Joint Sea-2015 (II) exercise, which is to take place in the Peter the Great Gulf, waters off the Clerk Cape, and the Sea of Japan.
China and Russia have held five joint naval exercises since 2005, a summary of which is as follows:
-- Peace Mission-2005, Aug. 18-25, 2005.
The eight-day maneuvers marked the first joint naval drill of China and Russia. Some 10,000 servicemen of the two countries' ground, naval, air, airborne and marine forces participated in the event, which started in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East and later moved to east China's Shandong Peninsula and nearby waters.
The drill was an important measure for the two countries to boost military cooperation, deepen their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and jointly safeguard regional security and global peace.
-- Joint Sea-2012, April 22-27, 2012.
China and Russia sent a total of 25 warships, 13 planes and nine helicopters as well as two special-forces contingents to the joint drill, which was held in waters near the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao.
During the military exercises, the two sides explored new ways to improve coordination and emergency response under multiple circumstances.
-- Joint Sea-2013, July 5-12, 2013.
A total of 19 vessels, eight planes and two teams of special forces from the two countries participated in the exercises, which took place near Peter the Great Gulf.
The maneuvers focused on joint air defense, joint escorts and maritime search and rescue operations.
It was the first time for the two navies to stage joint military exercises near Peter the Great Gulf, and it involved the largest single batch of troops the Chinese navy had dispatched to a joint drill with foreign navies.
-- Joint Sea-2014, May 20-26, 2014.
A total of 14 warships, two submarines, nine airplanes and six helicopters took part in the drill, which was held in the northern part of the East China Sea.
The maneuvers focused on escorts, search and rescue, identification, anti-submarine operations and the freeing of hijacked ships, among other aspects.
The drill marked the first time that Chinese and Russian participating vessels and troops were divided into mixed teams and also the first time to involve independent confrontation between submarines and surface ships.
-- Joint Sea-2015 (I), May 11-21, 2015.
The drill, organized in the Mediterranean, was the first part of Joint Sea-2015, the first in the Joint Sea series to be carried out in phases.
The exercises, involving nine surface ships from the two navies, focused on maritime defense, replenishment and escort, with an aim to boost their capabilities in jointly dealing with security threats at sea.
