MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - Russia's Northern Fleet has announced the completion of a trilateral naval exercise involving warships of Russia's Navy, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, and the South African National Defense Force near the South African Republic's coast in the Indian Ocean.
"The exercise participants practiced putting together a multinational unit of warships in a planned area, conducting joint tactical maneuvering in various formations and orders of battle, and taking mine countermeasures while on passage, including firing upon a target imitating a floating mine," the Northern Fleet's press service said on Monday.
The Russian ships involved in the drills included the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and the Kama medium-class sea tanker of the Northern Fleet, while China delegated the Rizhao frigate, the Huainan destroyer, and the Kekexilihu supply ship, and South Africa the Mendi frigate.
"The Russian, Chinese, and South African warships fired artillery upon a naval target, were trained to free a captured vessel with hostages on board, and provide aid to a ship in distress at sea and personnel overboard," it said.
A deck-based Kamov Ka-27 helicopter carried out several missions from the Admiral Gorshkov during the drills, it said.
The active phase of the exercise was conducted from February 25 to 27. "The Northern Fleet naval unit is continuing to perform its long-range mission duties according to plan," it said.