Surface ships, submarines and rescue vessels take part in the maneuvers.
The active phase of the Russian-Chinese naval exercises "Maritime Interaction - 2025" has begun in the Sea of Japan. Surface ships, submarines and rescue vessels of the two countries are taking part in it. A special feature of this year's maneuvers was the expanded coastal part, as well as the focus on training to rescue a submarine in distress. Such events have not been held for many years. How the exercises are going on and what the sailors of the two countries are working on is in the Izvestia material.
How are the exercises "Maritime Interaction – 2025" going?
The coastal phase of the event will be expanded compared to how the maneuvers took place last year, informed sources told Izvestia. A leadership headquarters has been deployed in Vladivostok, where the parties will plan and work out on maps the organization of joint actions at sea.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Press Service of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
On July 31, Vladivostok berths hosted ships of the Chinese PLA Navy: the destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, the Qiandaohu complex supply ship and the Xihu submarine rescue vessel, and a submarine whose name is unknown, but in appearance it can be classified as a Russian-built Project 636 submarine..
The Russian side will be represented by the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs, the corvette Gromky, the diesel-electric submarine Volkhov and the rescue vessel Igor Belousov.
The series of joint exercises of the Russian Navy and the Chinese Navy "Maritime Interaction" has been held regularly since 2012. The exercises are held in different regions, alternately changing the host country. So, last year they were held in the South China Sea. This year, the exercises are being held in the Sea of Japan, hosted by the Russian side.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Press Service of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
In general, the plans for such events have long been worked out. They consist of coastal and marine parts. Cultural and sports programs await the crews. At sea, the ships of the two countries will improve joint search and rescue operations, as well as work out anti-submarine tasks and air defense, conduct joint artillery firing, work out the joint use of carrier-based aircraft, as well as other tactical exercises.
Submarine rescue vessels are involved in the exercises. This means that there will be a number of episodes involving assistance to a conditionally emergency submarine, including the work of rescue vehicles to evacuate submariners from a ship in distress. Ours will save the Chinese, and vice versa.
How are the submarine rescue training sessions going?
Specialized vessels to assist submarines in distress carry deep-sea rescue vehicles capable of diving up to 1,000 meters, docking with a submarine and taking on board a couple dozen sailors. There is also a deep-sea complex on board, including pressure chambers, diving equipment, and a diving bell. In particular, the Igor Belousov diving complex makes it possible for divers to work at depths up to 450 m. In addition, there are various underwater vehicles on board. There is also a helipad. The length of the Igor Belousov is 105 m, the width is 17 m, the total displacement is 5.3 thousand tons, and the speed of the vessel is up to 15 knots. The vessel joined the Russian Navy in December 2015.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Press Service of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
The exact composition of the emergency rescue equipment of the Chinese rescuer "Xihu" is not known. It is part of the Northern Fleet of the PLA Navy (the Chinese Navy has three naval formations). The vessel is 158 m long, 23 m wide, and has a total displacement of 13.8 thousand tons, and speeds up to 20 knots. The photos show that the vessel can carry a rescue underwater vehicle, has a helipad and a complex of pressure chambers. It joined the fleet in December 2024.
In general, the history of the Chinese submarine forces began with the transfer of the first two submarines S-51 and S-52 from the Soviet Navy on June 24, 1954. Currently, the PLA Navy has about 60 nuclear and non-nuclear (about four dozen) boats. Of this number, 12 pieces of the 636 project were built at Russian factories (Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg, Sevmash in Severodvinsk and Krasnoe Sormovo in Nizhny Novgorod), which largely preserved Russia's competence in the field of underwater shipbuilding and then allowed the construction of two submarine brigades for the Russian Navy. Project 636.3. The last of them, the Yakutsk submarine, was recently accepted into the Pacific Fleet submarine brigade.
The Igor Belousov rescue vessel in the waters of the Sea of Japan off Askold Island during a special tactical exercise to search for and evacuate a grounded descent vehicle of a manned spacecraft.
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ildus Gilyazutdinov
For the first time, submarine rescue vessels began participating in the Maritime Interaction exercises in 2017. At that time, the rescue vessel Changdao with the deep-sea apparatus Elar-7 from the Chinese Navy and Igor Belousov with the AS-40 apparatus from the Pacific Fleet were working in the exercises in the Sea of Japan. Training sessions were conducted on joint training rescue of submariners from conditionally sunken submarines, which were presented by the Pacific Fleet. The following training sessions for the rescue of submariners were completed during the exercises "Maritime Interaction – 2019". Then similar events were held in the waters of the Yellow Sea. In May 2019, the crews of the rescue vessels Igor Belousov from the Pacific Fleet and Shandongdao of the Eastern Fleet of the PLA Navy worked out an episode to assist an emergency submarine lying on the ground. The submarine Komsomolsk-on-Amur acted in her role. In itself, such a task is extremely difficult, because at depth, in the absence of visibility, it is necessary to find a submarine, determine its exact location, go to the coaming area, dock with the boat, open the locks and begin receiving submariners. At the same time, it is necessary not to damage either the rescue vehicle or the submarine itself.
Later, in the exercises "Maritime Interaction", the rescue operations of submariners were not practiced. And now, six years later, we decided to hold them again.
Photo: RIA Novosti/press service of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
Unfortunately, submarines sometimes crash. At the same time, the country is losing human lives, expensive equipment, and the nation is suffering moral damage. So in November 2017, the Argentine submarine San Juan was lost. In April 2021, the Indonesian submarine "Nagnala" sank. A quarter of a century ago, the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kursk was lost. There have been other disasters, including the sinking of a Chinese submarine in 2003. Therefore, the sailors of our countries must always be ready to provide assistance to those in distress.
After the completion of the Admiral Panteleev BOD exercise, the Pacific Fleet and the Shaoxing destroyer of the PLA Navy will begin working out joint maritime patrol tasks with a call at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and further navigation in the waters of the northern and central Pacific Ocean.
Izvestia reference
Earlier, ships of the Russian Federation and China also participated in the exercises of the "Maritime Interaction" series.
In 2021, the Russian side's exercises involved the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleev, the corvettes of Project 20380 Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov and Gromky, two base minesweepers, the submarine of Project 877 Ust-Bolsheretsk, as well as a missile boat and a rescue tug. From the naval forces of the People's Liberation Army of China - the destroyers Kun Ming and Nan Chang, the corvettes Bin Zhou and Lu Zhou, a diesel submarine, an integrated supply ship and a rescue vessel.
In 2022, the Russian Navy will supply the Varyag Guards missile cruiser, the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate, the 20380 Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov and Perfectny corvettes, the Jinan and Baotou destroyers, the Binzhou and Yancheng frigates, and an integrated supply ship from the PLA Navy., as well as a diesel submarine.
In 2023, Russia was represented at the exercises by the large anti-submarine ships Admiral Tributs and Admiral Panteleev, the corvettes Gremyashchy and Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov. The Chinese Navy presented the destroyers "Qiqihar" and "Guiyang", the patrol ships "Zaozhuang" and "Rizhao", as well as the universal supply ship "Taihu".
In 2024, the Russian side participated in the exercises with the Loud and Sharp corvettes, and the Chinese side with the Yinchuan destroyer, the Dali and Hengshui frigates, and the Weishanhu universal supply transport.
Dmitry Boltenkov
Roman Kretsul
