Chinese, Russian, and Iranian warships have steamed into South African waters for a week-long naval exercise called Will for Peace 2026, a show of force and cooperation among an expanding circle of BRICS+ partners. The drills, which opened on Saturday, January 10, were billed as a bid to bolster maritime security and interoperability in a part of the world that sits astride some of the planet’s busiest shipping lanes.
Participants and key Vessels for this naval exercise:
Participants include ships and personnel from China, Russia, Iran, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, with potential involvement from other BRICS+ nations, such as Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. India is notably absent, having opted out for strategic reasons. Key vessels on show include China’s PLAN destroyer CNS Tangshan, frigate Daqing, and oiler Taihu; Russia’s corvette RFS Stoikiy and oiler Yelnya; Iran’s expeditionary sea bases Makran and Shahid Mahdavi plus corvette Naghdi; South Africa’s frigate SAS Amatola; and the UAE corvette Bani Yas.
The programme centres on joint maritime-safety drills, counter‑terrorism rescue scenarios, simulated strikes on maritime targets, and interoperability exercises, alongside professional exchanges and ship visits under the banner “Joint Actions to Ensure the Safety of Shipping and Maritime Economic Activities.”
Exercise objectives and activities:
The exercise runs from 9–January 16, 2026, after the participating vessels arrive on January 9. The event was originally slated for November 2025 under the name “Mosi III” but was pushed back because of a clash with the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
Simon’s Town Naval Base, on the Cape Peninsula where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, is the hub, with operations extending into the surrounding waters, including False Bay.
Officials say the aim is to swap best practices, sharpen joint operational skills, and contribute to regional maritime stability amid growing threats to trade routes. South African Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa stressed that the drills were non‑hostile and were planned well before recent crises, arguing that Washington’s problems with some participating states do not dictate Pretoria’s foreign policy.
The Indian Stance and International Reactions:
New Delhi’s decision to sit this one out is described as a political choice. Despite recent diplomatic thawing, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attendance at the SCO summit in China and closer economic ties, lingering border tensions along the Line of Actual Control mean India remains wary of defence engagements until a fuller political settlement is reached. The absence underlines New Delhi’s careful balancing act within BRICS: it wants the benefits of multilateral engagement without compromising its sovereignty or strategic autonomy. Domestic and international reactions.
China’s Pivotal Role in the Drills:
China has taken the lead in “Will for Peace” 2026, sending a large detachment from its 48th Naval Escort Task Force, normally used for anti‑piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden. The move highlights Beijing’s growing role in African maritime affairs and its push for closer military ties within BRICS+. By running the drills, China is showing it can help protect vital sea lanes off Africa’s southern tip, though critics including South Africa’s Democratic Alliance worry the large‑scale exercises could be aimed at signalling strength over Taiwan.
The United States, which has been watching BRICS activities closely under the current administration for many observers, the flotilla is a reminder that the world is tilting towards a more multipolar order and that alliances are being tested and remade at sea as well as on land.
At face value, Will for Peace 2026 is about seamanship, search and rescue, and keeping shipping moving. However, beneath the surface, it is also a diplomatic signal ,a way for participating states to show that they can act together when it suits them.