The Chinese and Russian Navies took another step toward interoperability with their latest drills in the Pacific Ocean. A Chinese vessel supplied a Russian warship with fuel and water as the two kept moving on parallel courses.
In a post on Telegram on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the crews of the Admiral Tributs anti-submarine warfare ship and China’s Tayhu supply ship practiced synchronizing the two vessels’ speed while maintaining the right distance.
Russian military officials added that the two navies are currently conducting joint patrols in the East China Sea, covering more than 6,400 nautical miles (11,853km, or 7,365 miles) since the start of the maneuvers in the Pacific in late July.
According to the statement, the two countries have also carried out anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, and rescue exercises, while helicopter pilots have practiced taking off from and landing on the warships.
Earlier this month, two senators from the US state of Alaska, citing a classified briefing, claimed that a total of 11 Russian and Chinese warships had been detected “transiting US waters in the Aleutians.” The lawmakers described the alleged incident as an “incursion.”
However, US Northern Command, while confirming that vessels of the two nations had indeed conducted a patrol in the area, noted that they had “remained in international waters and [were] not considered a threat.”
Commenting on the drills, Liu Pengyu, the spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said that “this action is not targeted at any third party and has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation.” -RT
