South African navy hosts Russia, China for maritime exercise.

The South African navy is hosting the Multinational Maritime Exercise with Russia and China in Cape Town. It is the first trilateral exercise between the three countries and is scheduled to take place off the southern coast of South Africa over the period of November 25-30.

South African Navy corvette SAS Amatola (F 145) comes alongside USS Arleigh Burke (Picture source: US Africom Public Affairs)

The Chinese multi-role frigate Weifang (550) docks at Cape Town harbour for a joint exercise in southern African waters with South African Navy's frigate SAS Amatola (F145) and Russian Navy's missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov (055) on November 25 2019.

The exercise is primarily focused on maritime economic security, interoperability and maintaining the good relations between the participating navies.

The week-long exercise is intended to demonstrate a "multinational willingness to ensure regional maritime peace, security and stability," according to the South African navy.

The first three days of exercise will focus on the finalization of planning for a sea program as well as military social and cultural activities. It will be followed by a sea program, which will focus on surface gunnery exercise, helicopter cross deck landings, boarding operations as well as disaster control exercise.