The navies of China and Russia on Sunday held coordinated three-dimensional island-seizing drills for the first time as part of the 2016 Sino-Russian joint military exercises.
The Joint Sea 2016 drills, which began on September 12 in Zhanjiang, South China's Guangdong Province, involved a series of joint operations, including air defense maneuvers, anti-submarine operations, coordinated three-dimensional island seizing, and search and rescue, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The Chinese ships Kunlunshan and Yunwushan as well as Russian assault landing ship Peresvet participated in the coordinated three-dimensional island seizing exercises.
"Kunlunshan, the latest comprehensive China-made landing craft, can transport forces and amphibious equipment very quickly," Captain Huang Yongzhi told the Global Times on Sunday, adding that it can also carry helicopters and armored amphibious vehicles.
"The two military's troops were mixed in order to improve understanding and coordination between the two forces," Hu Lin, chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy, told the Global Times.
He said that postures and whistles were used during the exercises to overcome the language barrier.
The 2016 drills were more practical and cooperative than last year's, said Hu.
The use of live ammunition, which relies on deepened military exchanges between the two countries, also demonstrated the high-level simulation of actual combat and cooperation, Xiao Shuangsheng, who participated in the island seizing exercises, told the Global Times.
A total of 13 surface ships, two submarines, 11 fixed-wing aircraft, 10 ship-borne helicopters and amphibious armored equipment as well as 256 marines took part in the drill, according to Xinhua.
Both navies held joint beach landing drills in Russia in August 2015.
