South Africa launches naval drills with Russia, China and Iran

Multinational naval exercises “Will for Peace 2026” began on January 10 in South Africa’s territorial waters, the Russian Embassy in South Africa confirmed in an official statement.

According to the embassy, the drills are taking place from Simon’s Town, the headquarters of the South African Navy.

The statement said the exercises involve naval forces from China and South Africa, with ships from Russia and Iran also taking part. “The exercises focus on maritime security and safe navigation,” the embassy noted.

Images released by the embassy show one of the participating Russian vessels — a Steregushchiy-class corvette carrying hull number 545 — berthed at Simon’s Town Naval Base. The ship appeared alongside South African and Chinese naval units ahead of the opening ceremony, where South African naval personnel formed on the pier to mark the start of the drills.

The South African Navy has not released additional details on the number of ships or specific activities planned during the exercise. China has taken part in previous trilateral drills with Russia and South Africa, most recently during maritime training events held off the country’s east coast.

The exercises are being conducted inside South Africa’s territorial waters under the direction of national authorities.

Simon’s Town is the principal operational base of the South African Navy and hosts visiting foreign warships during joint training. Maritime exercises conducted from the base typically include navigation drills, communication procedures, and coordinated patrol activities.

South Africa last held multinational naval drills with China and Russia in 2023. Iran’s participation in the 2026 event reflects its expanding naval outreach programs in Africa.

The launch of the “Will for Peace 2026” drills highlights growing maritime coordination among China, Russia, Iran, and South Africa.