First-ever Russia-Myanmar Naval Exercise to Practice Repelling Unmanned Boats

Russia and Myanmar will practice how to repel unmanned boats attacking warships besides anti-submarine operations in their first-ever joint naval exercise from November 7-9 in the Andaman Sea.

Repelling drone boats is a relatively new concept to naval warfare and has arisen from Ukrainian explosive-laden unmanned boats that have rammed against Russian warships in the Black Sea.

“During the practical part of the exercise, which will take place from November 7 to 9 in the Andaman Sea, joint maneuvering and artillery firing at air and surface targets, and search for a submarine using naval aviation will be practiced,” Russian Ministry of Defense announced in an official statement.

Furthermore, sailors from both nations will simulate repelling a high-speed boat terrorist attack on a detachment of ships, among other training scenarios throughout the exercise.

The exercise follows a series of diplomatic and military developments. On November 3, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Nikolai Evmenov, arrived in Myanmar. A day after, Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing held a meeting with Evmenov.

The Russian Pacific Fleet's large anti-submarine ships, Admiral Tributs and Admiral Panteleev, also entered the port of Tilawa in Myanmar on November 2, with plans to conduct exercises alongside a frigate and a corvette from the Myanmar Navy.

The joint naval exercise officially commenced in Yangon on November 5 with the coastal phase, under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy and his Myanmar counterpart, Mo Aung. The exercise is expected to provide both nations with valuable experience in coordinating naval operations.

Continuing the show of collaboration, on November 6, the head of Myanmar visited the Russian ship Admiral Tributs, further strengthening the ties between the two navies.

Dmitry Shugaev, the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia, has previously emphasized Myanmar's significance as one of Russia's key partners in Southeast Asia.