The naval forces of Russia, Iran, and China performed joint exercises, refining their coordination and tactics to repel attacks from unmanned surface vehicles and conduct ship searches and boardings.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has released the relevant footage.

The Maritime Security Belt 2025 naval exercise, organized by the Iranian side, marked the seventh annual operation of the Chinese, Russian, and Iranian navies. During the exercises, around 15 ships, support vessels, combat boats, and naval helicopters were deployed in the Gulf of Oman.

The Russian Navy involved the Steregushchiy-class (Project 20380) corvettes, Rezky and Aldar Tsydenzhapov, as well as the medium sea tanker Pechenga from the Pacific Fleet, in the military maneuvers. The Chinese Navy was represented by the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer Baotou and a support vessel.

The Iranian Navy had the largest presence during the exercises, with its fleet including the Bayandor-class corvette Bayandor, the Moudge-class frigate and the Alvand-class frigate, the Shahid Soleimani-class missile catamaran, as well as a group of missile boats and smaller auxiliary vessels.

Over the course of two days, warship crews conducted day and night firing exercises with heavy machine guns and small arms, targeting mock-ups of maritime drones and unmanned aerial vehicles of the enemy.

The exercises aimed at countering small maritime drones are evidently a result of the Russian Navy’s combat experience in the Black Sea. The footage shows that to repel attacks, the Russian sailors used mounts with NSV/KORD heavy machine guns.

Along with the Russian corvettes, the exercise was to include Iran’s newest missile catamaran, which has the capability to counter such threats built into its design.

On board the Shahid Soleimani, in addition to a 30mm cannon, there are four remotely operated turrets with 20mm guns featuring a rotating barrel system that covers the entire radius around the ship. They are complemented by two aft guns, placed in hidden recesses beneath the deck, which cover the “blind spots.”

Boarding operation

The fleets also jointly conducted an operation to search for a vessel hijacked by terrorists, as well as actions to capture it and rescue hostages.

During the boarding operation, a group of Iranian fighters from the Sepah Naval Special Force (SNSF) deployed onto the ship from a Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopter and neutralized the ‘terrorists.’ Russian special forces provided support and ensured the security of the operation.

To carry out their tasks, the SNSF soldiers were armed with Iranian-made licensed copies of the AK-103 7.62x39mm assault rifle, locally known as the AK-133.