China and Russia concluded “Joint Sea-2026” on July 13 at a military port in Qingdao, the twelfth iteration of an annual naval exercise dating back to 2012, running July 6–13 in the Yellow Sea, according to Xinhua.
Russia’s task group was led by the Slava-class cruiser Varyag, alongside the corvette Rezkiy and the submarine Ufa. China fielded the destroyers Anshan — a Type 055, the PLA Navy’s largest and most heavily armed surface combatant — and Kaifeng, along with a Yuan-class submarine. The ten-vessel exercise covered joint reconnaissance, air and missile defense, strikes on surface targets, and submarine rescue, with this year’s iteration also featuring extensive use of unmanned systems and counter-drone measures, according to TASS.
Following the drill’s conclusion, select vessels from both navies departed for joint patrols in the Pacific, according to CGTN.
The same week, Taiwan’s National Security Council reported tracking a record 110-plus PLA Navy and Coast Guard vessels along the First Island Chain, and China test-launched a submarine-based ballistic missile on July 6, the day the drills began, drawing objections from the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, according to Hong Kong Free Press.
Rear Admiral Sergey Sinko described the exercise as institutional and not directed against any nation.
