BEIJING, July 13. /TASS/. The participation of submarines in the Chinese-Russian military exercises Joint Sea 2026 in the Yellow Sea reflects an extremely high level of mutual trust, according to Chinese military expert Wang Yunfei.
"Submarines operating together is rare worldwide. Submarines are inherently stealthy by nature, and their acoustic signatures are highly classified by each country," Wang said, as quoted by the Global Times newspaper.
"The fact that both submarines participated together, shared communication data and coordinated strikes on targets is something extremely rare. The ability of China and Russia to accomplish this reflects the high level of mutual trust between the two sides, as well as the Chinese military's strong confidence in its own capabilities. This serves as a positive start for further deepening the scope and intensity of future joint exercises," Wang added.
The expert noted that the People's Liberation Army Navy this time deployed a modernized Type 039B submarine, while the Russian Navy deployed the diesel-electric Ufa sub. Wang added that the "participation of submarines in joint exercises also involves communication and data exchange, which is another important aspect of showing high-level mutual trust."
The expert noted that "underwater communication is complex," in which the parties must exchange information on technical specifications, methods, and tactics, ensuring a high degree of tactical coordination when countering an adversary. He called this "a positive start for further strengthening the scope and intensity of future joint exercises."
The naval phase of the Russian-Chinese exercises took place on July 10-11. According to the Chinese Ministry of Defense, they were successful, and the parties plan to continuously broaden and expand their scope in the future.