Russia and China announced that they will conduct common sea drills off the coast of Russia’s Primorsky territory in late August 2015.
The protocol for “Join Sea-2015”, as the exercise is called, was signed in Vladivostok on Friday 17 July. For the first time both countries will test their amphibious assault forces.
An aircraft carrier will participate in the exercise, but the Russian Pacific Fleet spokesman, Roman Martov, did not say whether the vessel will be the Russian Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier, the Admiral Flota Sovetskovo Soyuza Kuznetsov (CV 063), or the Chinese Liaoning (CV 016) of the same class.
The Russian aircraft carrier was at the 82nd shipyard, at Roslyakovo in the Murmansk Region, for inspection and repairs last May. So it is most probable that the Chinese Liaoning (CV 016) aircraft carrier will participate at the exercise.
According to the Russian Pacific Fleet spokesman, the joint exercise will take place in the Sea of Japan and the amphibious assault drill off the coast of Russia’s Primorsky territory.
The drills will involve about 20 warships and support vessels of various classes from both countries, as well as planes and helicopters of naval aviation.