Russian anti-submarine ship arrives in Pakistan for joint naval exercises

Chinese servicemen stand on the deck of a naval vessel, upon their arrival to participate in Pakistan Navy’s Multinational Exercise AMAN-17, in Karachi, Pakistan, February 9, 2017. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

Russian Navy’s large anti-submarine ship Severmorsk arrived in Pakistan Thursday for participation in the Aman 2017 international naval exercises, according to reports in news agency Xinhua. This is the second time within six months that Russia and Pakistan are holding joint military exercises.

The ship, that set off from Oman’s port of Salalah, will take part in the naval exercises scheduled on Friday in the waters of the Arabian Sea and at the Pakistan Navy base located at the Karachi port. Navies from Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States are participating in the joint exercise.

The Indian Navy downplayed apprehensions over the naval exercises, terming it as a “normal maritime activity” every nation was entitled to. “This is an exercise hosted by Pakistanis once in two years. And 16 nations are taking part in it. It is a normal maritime activity any nation is entitled to,” Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff, told reporters at the sidelines of a conference organised by the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), according to PTI.