Pakistan has organized a week-long naval exercise with China in the Arabian Sea. On Monday, officials announced that the exercise, named ‘Joint Maritime Security HUMAQUAD and Peace Guardian,’ aims to enhance the collective capabilities in maritime security and defense.
Before this, on Saturday, the two neighboring countries initiated the exercise in the northern Arabian Sea, including the waters off the coast of Karachi. The exercise is scheduled to conclude on the upcoming Friday, November 17.
The Defense Minister of China stated on Monday that this joint exercise will involve submarine defense capabilities. He mentioned, “China and Pakistan will conduct their first joint maritime drill.” The ministry further informed that guided-missile destroyer CNS Mianyang, guided-missile frigate CNS Jingzhou, and replenishment ship PNS People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Marine Corps units, along with several warships and submarines, are participating in the Sea Guardian-III exercise.
Following the inaugural ceremony, the Pakistani Navy stated that during this process, both nations will jointly conduct “advanced level of naval and maritime exercises.” In an official statement, it was mentioned, “The main objective is to share professional experiences on contemporary and non-traditional threats in the Indian Ocean, and enhance bilateral cooperation and interoperability between the two navies.”
Li Yang, the Commander of the PLA Navy Task Group and the overall in-charge of the process, was quoted by Chinese state media as saying that the goal is to strengthen “professional cooperation for all seasons with Pakistan and enhance the two navies’ joint capabilities and combat readiness in responding to maritime security threats.”
This collaboration aims to increase technical cooperation for all seasons with Pakistan and strengthen bilateral cooperation and interoperability, especially in dealing with modern and non-traditional threats in the Indian Ocean.
