India Clarifies Non-Participation in South African Naval Exercise

India's Position on Naval Exercise in Cape Town

On January 17, New Delhi announced that the recent naval exercise held in Cape Town was solely initiated by South Africa, with participation from select BRICS nations.

In response to inquiries about India's absence from the 'Exercise Will For Peace 2026', the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that this event was not a standard or formal BRICS activity, nor did it involve all BRICS members.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized, "We would like to clarify that the exercise in question was entirely a South African initiative in which some BRICS members took part. It was not a regular or institutionalized BRICS activity, nor did all BRICS members participate in it."

He further noted that India has not engaged in similar exercises in the past. The regular maritime exercise that India participates in is the IBSAMAR, which includes the navies of India, Brazil, and South Africa, with the last iteration occurring in October 2024.

The South African defense ministry reported that the China-led multinational exercise took place in South African waters from January 9 to 16.

The South African Government described 'Exercise WILL FOR PEACE 2026' as a gathering of navies from BRICS Plus countries, focusing on joint maritime safety operations, interoperability drills, and maritime protection activities. The theme of the exercise was 'Joint Actions to Ensure the Safety of Shipping and Maritime Economic Activities', highlighting the commitment of participating navies to protect maritime trade routes and enhance cooperation for peaceful maritime security.

According to the Chinese Defence Ministry, the exercise included the guided-missile destroyer Tangshan and the supply ship Taihu from the Chinese PLA, along with the Russian Navy's corvette Stoikiy and South Africa's frigate Amatola.

During the exercise, under Chinese command, the naval vessels practiced maneuvers in a single line formation and conducted planned formation changes. The drills covered various scenarios, including maritime strikes, hijacked vessel rescues, and joint search and rescue operations, with participating naval forces coordinating closely.

The Chinese Defence Ministry also reported that multiple drills were conducted, focusing on communications, anchorage ground defense, and air defense.