Multinational Naval Exercises “Will for Peace 2026” Underway in South African Waters

Simon’s Town, South Africa — The multinational naval exercises “Will for Peace 2026” have commenced in the territorial waters of South Africa. The main operational hub for the drills has been designated at Simon’s Town, South Africa’s largest naval base, located near the Cape of Good Hope.

The exercises are being conducted under the operational command of the Navy of the People’s Republic of China and will continue until January 16. The drills involve the naval forces of China and the host nation, South Africa, with warships from the Russian Federation and Iran also participating. Indonesia and Ethiopia are taking part as observers.

According to the Russian Navy, on January 9, the corvette Stoikiy and the medium sea tanker Yelnya made a scheduled port call at Simon’s Town to join the exercises.

The focus of the exercises is on joint operations to ensure the safety of maritime navigation and economic activities. The practical phase includes the deployment of a naval task group into the open ocean for coordinated operations.