Karachi, Nov 13: The navies of China and Pakistan have kicked off their largest naval exercises in the Arabian Sea which included their “first joint maritime patrol”, the Chinese official media reported on Monday.
The China-Pakistan Sea Guardians-3 joint maritime exercise, with the theme of “Joint Response to Maritime Security Threats”, kicked off at a naval base in Karachi, Pakistan, on November 11 in the waters and airspace of the northern Arabian Sea.
China and Pakistan will conduct their first joint maritime patrol, the China Military Online, the official news portal of the Chinese military, reported. The two sides will also send observers to each other, while the Chinese observers will participate in the exercise with the Pakistani anti-submarine patrol aircraft, it said.
Spanning seven days, the exercise is divided into two phases, shore-based exchanges, and maritime joint operations, which include training courses on formation manoeuvring, VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure), helicopter cross-deck landing, joint search and rescue, and joint anti-submarine drills. Participating troops from the Chinese PLA Navy consist of six vessels, including the guided-missile destroyer Zibo, guided-missile frigates Jingzhou and Linyi, and the comprehensive supply ship Qiandaohu, along with two shipborne helicopters and dozens of Marines. For the Pakistani side, nine vessels, including the PNS Shahjahan and Saif, three shipborne helicopters, four fighter jets, one fixed-wing anti-submarine patrol aircraft, and dozens of Marines are involved in the exercise, Global Times reported. (PTI)
