QINGDAO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The exercise called Joint Sea-2026, organized with the participation of the Chinese and Russian navies, ended at the military port in Qingdao, eastern China's Shandong province, with the completion of all planned missions.
After the exercise ended on Monday, some of the participating forces of the two countries departed for the Pacific to conduct joint patrol missions.
The two navies assigned 10 ships, including surface, underwater, air and support units, for the exercise themed "joint fight against maritime security risks".
During the port planning phase of the exercise, various events such as tabletop simulations, ship visits, professional seminars and invitations, as well as basketball matches were organized.
At sea, live force and live ammunition training was carried out, such as joint reconnaissance, air and missile defense, attacks against surface targets and joint submarine rescue.
The Chinese chief director of the exercise stated that the joint exercise fully simulated real sea and air combat environments with a strong combat-oriented approach.
The chief director also added that the joint exercise further deepened the mutual strategic trust of the two armies, reinforced the deep-rooted friendship and increased their capacity to jointly manage maritime crises.
Joint Sea-2026, which started on July 6, is the twelfth of the exercise series, the first of which was held in 2012.
Naval Research Academy researcher Zheng Hong stated that the joint exercise has a critical practical importance in maintaining regional peace and stability.