China eyes Russian submarine rescue expertise in Yellow Sea naval drills
China and Russia launched joint naval exercises focused on submarine rescue, a matter in which Beijing said it hoped to learn operational experience from its strategic partner amid intensified competition beneath the seas.
The Joint Sea-2026 exercise between the two navies began in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao on Monday, underscoring deepening military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow since the annual drills first launched in 2012.
The exercise coincided with Beijing’s launch of a ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, a rare public acknowledgement that analysts said showed the operational progress of China’s sea-based nuclear deterrent while sending a signal to Washington and its regional allies.
The joint exercise includes anti-submarine warfare, joint search-and-rescue operations and other maritime missions such as air defence, according to Russia’s Tass news agency.
One stage of the drills would involve training for rescuing the crew of a simulated distressed submarine, using a deep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV), Tass reported on Monday.
Such missions are an important element of submarine combat support, involving the location of a disabled submarine and the safe recovery of its crew.