Sino-Russian exercise begins in earnest
By Sun Shangwu (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-08-24 05:45
QINGDAO: Chinese and Russian troops launched a simulated naval blockade yesterday morning, sending 10 military vessels and more than 20 aircraft to take part in their first-ever joint military exercise dubbed "Peace Mission 2005."
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A Russian destroyer fires missiles during a China-Russia joint military exercise off China's Shandong Peninsula August 23, 2005. [newsphoto] |
Chinese hardware included three destroyers, three frigates, two submarines and more than 20 battle planes of various types, while Russia contributed the submarine-hunting ship Marshall Shaposhnikov, the missile-guided destroyer Burny, a KA-27 helicopter and an A-50 long-range early warning aircraft .
The war game began at 11:00 am with two groups of Chinese jet fighters flying across the sky above the waters off East China's Shandong Peninsula. They fired air-to-air missiles to intercept mock rival aircraft and took control of the skies over the exercise zone.
The joint naval fleet, comprised of destroyers, frigates and anti-submarine vessels from the two navies, then simulated a submarine hunt. Helicopters dropped anti-sub torpedoes and destroyers fired depth charges.
Under the guidance of early warning aircraft, a Chinese submarine launched a missile to attack supposed rival military vessels. This was followed by a bombardment from jet fighters and bombers.
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