A detachment of the Russian Navy has worked out joint tasks with the Navy of the Islamic Republic in the Arabian Sea
The joint naval exercises of Russia and Pakistan have two goals, experts interviewed by Izvestia said. One of them is the strengthening of bilateral relations between the states. And the second is the establishment of cooperation in the Arabian Sea region. Ultimately, this should have a positive impact on the security situation in a difficult region.
The format of the PASSEX exercises
A detachment of Russian Navy warships consisting of the corvettes "Sharp", "Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov" and the medium sea tanker "Pechenga" of the Pacific Fleet took part in the joint naval exercise PASSEX with ships of the Pakistani Navy.
Combat training events were held in the waters of the Arabian Sea. During them, the tasks of joint maneuvering with the involvement of deck helicopters were worked out, communication training was conducted, and inspection actions were completed.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
The passing exercise format, in which the exercises were conducted, is a standard for naval maneuvers between two fleets, during which communication and interaction between them are checked in a military situation or when providing humanitarian assistance. Russia regularly conducts maneuvers in this format with other states. In particular, last summer, naval exercises of the Russian Navy and the Egyptian Navy took place in the Mediterranean Sea. The Russian side was represented by the Varyag missile cruiser and the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate.
Naval cooperation between Russia and Pakistan is determined by the agreement on cooperation between the military departments of the two countries, signed by the defense ministers in 2014. At that time, the Russian side proposed to expand the practice of warships entering the ports of Russia and Pakistan.
History of interaction
"Russia and Pakistan have a long history of cooperation," Ilya Kramnik, a researcher at the IMEMO RAS Center for Strategic Planning Studies, told Izvestia. — It is constantly in the shadow of Russia's cooperation with India. But at the same time, Moscow maintains working relations with this country and never misses an opportunity to hold joint events. Ultimately, this is aimed at ensuring stability and security in the region, in particular in the Indian Ocean.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
Naval cooperation, on the one hand, strengthens bilateral relations between Russia and Pakistan, and on the other, it is an important element in the field of security in the Indian Ocean, the expert added. In addition, this is important given that the threat of piracy remains in the Arabian Sea, Ilya Kramnik emphasized.
—In recent years, we have been actively friends with Pakistan, we have been making visits, they came to our naval parade in 2021," military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia. — Their Navy is quite interesting. There are many European-built ships there, and now the Chinese are building a fleet for them. We have nothing to share with them right now. And it's always useful to talk to people and look at something from them. There is always something to learn from someone.
The Arabian Sea is a difficult region, the expert added: there is a large amount of cargo transportation in the Persian Gulf, and training in this area will not be superfluous.
— The well-coordinated work of the detachment of ships of the Pacific Fleet is noteworthy. They were involved in exercises in Indonesia, jointly with Iran, and now with Pakistan. The sailors are actively training and establishing cooperation with the countries of the region," Dmitry Boltenkov concluded.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
Joint maneuvers with the Pakistani Navy have become another one this year for a detachment of ships of the Pacific Fleet. In the second half of February, he took part in exercises in Indonesia. The main events took place in the waters of the Badung Strait and on the island of Bali. The military of several dozen other countries also participated in the maneuvers, including the United States, China, Japan, France, India, Great Britain, and others.
The main purpose of the exercises was to increase operational compatibility between the naval forces of different countries in the field of disaster relief and other humanitarian operations.
Along with the maneuvers at sea, forums for the exchange of experience and opinions between officers and bilateral meetings with representatives of the naval forces of different countries, as well as an International Symposium on Maritime Security, were held on the shore.
And in early March, the Maritime Security Belt 2025 exercise was held in the northern Indian Ocean with the participation of ships from Russia, Iran and China. The Russian side was represented by the corvettes "Sharp", "Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov", as well as the medium sea tanker "Pechenga".
Photo: AP/Mohammad Mehdi Dara
Image source: iz.ru
The crews worked out the tasks of freeing captured vessels, search and rescue at sea, and also conducted artillery firing at sea and air targets.
The objectives were to ensure maritime security, counter piracy and terrorism at sea, as well as the protection of maritime communications.
As reported by Izvestia, two warships and one integrated supply vessel from China were involved in the exercise. Iran has deployed 16 warships and boats, two support vessels and two helicopters for maneuvers.
Roman Kretsul
