The Arabian Frontier: what will be worked out at the "Maritime Safety Belt – 2025" exercise

The Maritime Security Belt 2025 exercise, which involves ships from Russia, Iran and China, is designed to improve joint operations in a difficult region for navigation — the northern Indian Ocean, experts interviewed by Izvestia said. Another important factor is to demonstrate military cooperation despite external pressure. During the maneuvers, the sailors of the three countries will work out the tasks of freeing captured vessels, search and rescue at sea, and also conduct artillery firing.

How will the Maritime Security Belt 2025 exercise take place?

The naval exercise "Maritime Security Belt - 2025" with the participation of ships from Russia, Iran and China has started in the Iranian port of Chehbehar on the coast of the Arabian Sea. The Russian side is represented by the corvettes "Sharp", "Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov", as well as the medium sea tanker "Pechenga" of the Pacific Fleet.

In addition to the crews of the Russian Navy, Iranian Navy and PLA Navy ships, delegations from more than 10 observer countries took part in the opening ceremony of the exercise, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

For several days in the northern Indian Ocean, the crews will work out the tasks of freeing captured vessels, search and rescue at sea, as well as artillery firing at sea and air targets.

The international naval exercise "Maritime Security Belt 2025", organized by the Iranian side, is being held for the seventh time. For the first time, such maneuvers took place in the waters of the Arabian Sea in 2018. Ships of the Iranian Navy, the Russian Navy and the PLA Navy participate in them on an ongoing basis. This year's exercise involves ships, support vessels, combat boats, as well as helicopters of naval aviation.

Southern Approach: Pacific Fleet Ships Visit Bali

Russian and Indonesian sailors to hold joint exercises

The objectives are to ensure maritime security, counter piracy and terrorism at sea, as well as the protection of maritime communications.

A source in the Russian Navy told Izvestia that two warships and one integrated supply vessel from China are involved in the exercise. Iran has deployed 16 warships and boats, two support vessels and two helicopters for maneuvers.

A complex region

The northern regions of the Indian Ocean are a rather complex region from the point of view of navigation, there are various threats, including piracy, Ilya Kramnik, a researcher at the IMEMO RAS Center for Strategic Planning Studies, told Izvestia.

"At one time, Russia sent warships to fight Somali pirates, and China and Iran showed up," he recalled. — So, in principle, cooperation in such regions and in peacetime is certainly important. But now, since the time is not very peaceful, it is also working out the possibilities in case of some hypothetical, larger-scale military clash, when you need to understand who is next to you, who is interacting with whom in this theater of operations. And considering that Russia, China and Iran are all strategic partners of these three countries, this partnership may allow in other cases to cool down someone's particularly hot heads, preventing a hot conflict from breaking out.

Such maneuvers are also particularly relevant against the background of attempts by some countries to counteract oil exports, the expert added.

— And it is absolutely possible that such attempts may take place not only in the Baltic, where we have already seen similar cases, but also, let's just say, they may try to detain the same Russian vessels in other regions. Or maybe Iranian vessels, since Iran is also under sanctions. Therefore, the interaction of fleets can in itself become a factor that will prevent such attempts," the expert concluded.

Putting it on Tartus: what will change for the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea the closure of a port in Syria

The Navy's logistical support point continues to operate

On the one hand, the exercise has a purely practical significance, military expert Yuri Lyamin told Izvestia.

—The military seamen of Russia, Iran and China are training together to conduct various joint operations — search and rescue, the liberation of ships captured by pirates or terrorists, and repelling attacks," he said. — The practice of joint actions is being developed. Given that this is not the first such exercise, there are already established practices.

In addition, there is a political component to the exercise, the expert added.

— This is a demonstration from Iran, Russia and China that the parties are developing cooperation in the military sphere. Despite the pressure that is being exerted on countries in this regard. This moment is important for Iran, because it is constantly being attacked by the United States and other countries. Such exercises show that Iran is not alone, it is not in some kind of isolation. Russia and China are two nuclear superpowers actively cooperating with it, including in the military sphere. This is a very important point," concluded Yuri Lyamin.

As Izvestia reported, in the second half of February, the same detachment of ships of the Pacific Fleet 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.

At the same time as 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.