Russian Pacific Fleet conducts anti-drone drills in South China Sea

A detachment of Russia’s Pacific Fleet has conducted exercises focused on countering unmanned systems in the South China Sea, involving naval helicopters and simulated attacks by drones and uncrewed boats.

Russia’s Pacific Fleet press service said the drills involved the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov, the large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs and the tanker Pechenga.

During the exercise, the crews practised responding to attacks by unmanned surface vessels and unmanned aerial vehicles. Naval gun crews and heavy machine-gun teams engaged the simulated threats as part of a maritime combat scenario.

The second stage of the drills involved Ka-27 deck-based helicopters conducting reconnaissance flights over the sea. The helicopters detected a simulated enemy submarine, after which the crew of the Marshal Shaposhnikov used anti-submarine weapons against the target.

The Pacific Fleet detachment is operating in the Asia-Pacific region as part of a planned long-range deployment, according to the Russian military.

By Vugar Khalilov