The navies of China and Russia have concluded the week-long Joint Sea 2026 exercise that commenced on 6 July. The shore component was held in the naval port of Qingdao in China’s eastern Shandong province.
The harbour phase included a seminar on submarine rescue which was held at the Chinese PLA Navy Submarine Academy on 7 July. The at-sea phase concluded on 11 July. China’s Global Times reported that,
“The exercise featured flexible planning and high demands for operational coordination. The joint drills were conducted without fixed scripts, with operations adjusted dynamically based on battlefield conditions, hydro-meteorological factors and other variables.
Meanwhile, participating forces were organised in mixed formations, leveraging sea, air and submarine platforms to build an integrated multi-domain combat system. This effectively tested the two sides’ joint reconnaissance and early warning, command coordination and firepower strike capabilities in complex electromagnetic environments.”
Since 2012, the “Joint Sea” series of exercises has become a regular feature of the bi-lateral naval cooperation between China and Russia. The Global Times stated that this year was the first time Chinese and Russian submarines appeared together. Official imagery from the exercise shows that the Russian submarine participating was an improved Kilo-class conventional submarine, the Ufa, while the Chinese side deployed an improved Type 039B conventional submarine.
Sources: PLA & Global Times
