Russia And China Conduct First-Ever Joint Submarine Patrol In The Pacific

 

Russia and China have carried out their first joint submarine patrol in the Pacific, according to reports in state-run media.

The operation began in early August and involved diesel-electric submarines, including Russia’s Volkhov, which traveled approximately 2,000 miles from its base in Vladivostok, the Russian Pacific Fleet said. The submarines patrolled areas in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.

While Beijing has not officially confirmed the mission, China’s state-run Global Times referenced the patrol, citing Russian reports.

“The first joint submarine patrol indicated a high level of strategic mutual trust between China and Russia. Having submarines keeping in contact requires not only higher technical expertise but also more in-depth exchanges,” Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe was quoted as saying.

Zhang added that such drills and patrols help both navies strengthen their ability to jointly safeguard maritime security and stability.

Expanding Military Cooperation

China and Russia have stepped up military collaboration in recent years. In 2021, the two nations conducted their first joint naval patrol in the western Pacific, with a flotilla of 10 warships sailing around Japan’s main island. Joint patrols have since become an annual occurrence.

According to Russian news agency TASS, the purpose of these missions is to deepen naval cooperation, ensure peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, monitor maritime activity, and protect both countries’ maritime economic facilities.

Their partnership has also expanded beyond the Pacific. Since 2023, joint air and sea patrols have extended as far as Alaska, where four Chinese Coast Guard vessels and two Russian Border Guard ships were spotted patrolling in the Bering Sea near the U.S.-Russia maritime border.

U.S. Monitoring Activity

Separately, the U.S. Coast Guard said earlier this month that it has been tracking five Chinese research vessels operating in U.S. Arctic waters.

Meanwhile, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported intercepting four Russian surveillance flights within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the past week. While NORAD described these flights as routine and non-threatening, the frequency was notable compared with previous months.