Naval Exercise: Warship (Kyansittha) Joined Asean-Russia Naval Exercise

A naval vessel led by Commodore Zaw Zaw Latt of the Tatmadaw (Navy) returned to Yangon Monday evening after attending the ASEAN-Russia Naval Exercise (ARNEX-2021) which was held off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia from 1 to 3 December.

The warship (Kyansittha) left Yangon on 26 November to attend the ASEAN-Russia Naval Exercise and arrived near Belawan port, Indonesia on the morning of 30 November.

The opening ceremony of the ASEAN-Russia Naval Exercise (ARNEX-2021) was held on 1 December. Russian Ambassador to ASEAN Mr Alexander Ivanov, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mr Lyudmila Vorobyeva, Commander of the 1st Fleet of the Indonesian Navy Rear-Admiral Arsyad Abdullah, and officials from ASEAN countries and military attaches attended the ceremony. Naval vessel (Kyansittha) took part in the maritime security exercise together with warships and aircraft from ASEAN member countries and Russia. The exercise included joint tactical maneuvering drills by ship, conducting signals training, communications, as well as interviewing and screening tasks of a suspicious vessel. It also covered training in search and rescue at sea.

A closing ceremony was held at sea on the afternoon of 3 December, and the warships greeted each other. Eight warships, three helicopters and one maritime reconnaissance aircraft, including naval vessel (Kyansittha) from Myanmar, Russian destroyer (Admiral Panteleyev) and ships from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Viet Nam, and Brunei as well as observers from the participant states, took part in the naval exercise.

The exercise is a testament to the stability of regional peace and stability between Russia and ASEAN countries for 30 years. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in history between Russia and its strategic ASEAN partners, and the first joint ASEAN-Russia Naval Exercise. The naval ship (Kyansittha) sailed a total of 3,000 nautical miles during the voyage and successfully participated in the ASEAN-Russia Naval Exercise for maritime security.