The five-day drill is supposed to include gunnery exercises, helicopter landings and anti-piracy manoeuvres. The training is the first of its kind involving the navies of the three countries, members of the BRICS countries, or major industrializing economies. China has been South Africa's largest trading partner since 2009.

The exercise is the first trilateral China-Russia-South Africa naval exercise in the waters off Africa.

The exercise is designed to show a "multinational willingness to ensure regional maritime peace, security and stability," the South African navy said, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

“The South African navy has maintained a sound cooperative relation with Chinese and Russian navies, and we are committed to continuing this friendly relation in the future. The focus of the exercise is on promoting navigation security and maritime economic security. We wish it a complete success,” a South African Joint Operation Division officer stated.

Maritime Business World