MOSCOW. March 12 (Interfax) - Russian, Iranian and Chinese ships have held an artillery drill and practiced freeing a ship hijacked by mock terrorists during the Marine Security Belt 2025 exercise in the Gulf of Oman (the northern part of the Indian Ocean), the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"For two days, the ships practiced firing heavy machineguns and small arms at targets simulating unmanned surface and aerial vehicles of the mock enemy in the daytime and at night," the ministry said.
The joint search for a ship hijacked by mock terrorists and its freeing by special ops units were a key episode of the exercise, it said.
Shipborne helicopters took part in various stages of the naval exercise. "They went on reconnaissance missions, facilitated targeting by ships from the joint unit, and transported assault teams to the ships hijacked by mock terrorists. A Kamov Ka-27M helicopter of the Pacific Fleet's marine aviation took part in every episode," the ministry said.
After the successful training, the ships returned to the Iranian port of Chabahar to sum up exercise results and hold the closing ceremony.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced the beginning of the Marine Security Belt 2025 exercise with Russian, Iranian and Chinese ships on March 9. This year, the exercise involves about 15 ships, supply vessels and combat boats, as well as marine helicopters. The Rezky and Aldar Tsydenzhapov corvettes and the Pechenga medium-sized sea tanker from the Pacific Fleet are taking part in the exercise on behalf of Russia.
This is the seventh Marine Security Belt international naval exercise organized by Iran. The first exercise of the kind took place in the Arabian Sea in 2018. Ships of the Iranian, Chinese and Russian navies are its regular participants.