A gathering of warships from China, Russia and Iran to carry out naval drills in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea is “power projection in action”, military experts said.
The announcement of a major exercise involving 20 vessels from the three navies was made by state media on Tuesday and comes after American and British forces conducted further air strikes on the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The exercise, called Maritime Security Belt 2024, will involve live firing at surface and aerial targets, potentially raising the risk of miscalculation or accident.
Dr Neil Melvin, director of international security studies at the Rusi think tank in London, said the exercise was part of a “long-term pattern where these three countries have been working much more closely together”.
“It’s not an alliance exactly but there is there is an increasing level of coordination that we see,” he told The National. “It’s also a signal to the West that they are not the only powers in town in an area which is strategically significant.”
The drills, the second held between the three countries in two years, would “consolidate security and its foundations in the region and expand multilateral co-operation among the participating countries”, Iranian state media reported.
Military analyst Tim Ripley argued that it demonstrated the navies had reach as “to get so many ships so far from their home ports is power projection in action”.
“This demonstrates that the British and Americans are clearly not the only game in town in the Red Sea region,” he added. “Others have interests and they have a duty to take notice.”
China will be sending the “guided missile destroyer Urumqi, guided missile frigate Linyi and comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu”.
The Urumqi was previously sent to the region in 2021 in the Gulf of Aden, alongside the guided missile frigate Yantai. Launched in 2015, the vessel is one of China’s Type 052D missile destroyers, capable of carrying a variety of missiles in 64 launching cells, including anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles.
For the exercise’s live ammunition aspect, it is highly like that the fleet will declare a “temporary firing zone” in international waters warning shipping to keep away.
However, Mr Ripley warned that if this involved anti-ship or surface-to-air missiles the “template gets bigger and more dangerous”, particularly for accidents or miscalculation.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the “practical part of the exercise will take place in the waters of the Gulf of Oman in the Arabian Sea”, without specifying other locations.
The Russian component of the exercise came from its Pacific Fleet, led by the Varyag cruiser, docking in Chah Bahar in Iran earlier this week before the exercise began.
Last year, the three countries held a similar drill in the area, called Security Bond 2023.
There is also a suggestion that the exercise might have a secondary role in protecting the apparent Iranian spy ship the Behshad, that has allegedly been gathering information on vessels transiting the waterway to pass on to the Houthis.
The Behshad, which looks like a normal bulk carrier, has been in the Gulf of Aden since January conducting a meandering course close to the Bab Al Mandeb entrance to the Red Sea.
When it was in port for a while in February there was a noticeable drop in the Iran-backed Houthi shipping attacks.
“If this ship isn’t providing the Houthi regime with intelligence on vessel movements, then just what is she doing?” a naval source said.
Another defence source said: “There has been some loose talk about taking out Iranian ships helping the Houthis, so this exercise might also be sending a ‘hands off the Behshad message’.”
Growing naval might
China has the largest navy in the world, if measured in the number of surface ships, growing rapidly towards 400 ships by 2025, according to US estimates, although the US navy is twice the size in terms of tonnage of ships at sea.
Russia is a close second with about 360 ships, although its numbers are fluctuating as Moscow rushes to build replacements for, or repair about 25 ships lost or damaged in the Black Sea in the Ukraine war.
Iran is a relative newcomer to naval power projection, having traditionally built a large fleet of hundreds of missile attack boats intended to “swarm” and overwhelm enemy ships in the waters around the Arabian Sea.
But in recent years it has been able to send naval expeditions much further afield, sending the Sahand warship intelligence-gathering vessel Makran to Venezuela in 2021.
Earlier this month, China also sent vessels from the 46th fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy in the Red Sea, but the ships have not been directly involved in shooting down Houthi drones and missiles. Analysts say the Chinese vessels have escorted some Chinese commercial ships through the Red Sea.
Missile interceptions have been undertaken by two coalitions, the US and UK-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, which includes Bahrain, Canada and Australia, and the EU-led Operation Aspides, which includes vessels from Germany, France, Italy and Belgium.
Unlike the US-UK led mission, Aspides has not directly attacked Houthi missile positions.
India has also sent vessels to the crisis zone, rescuing sailors after their vessels were struck by drones and missiles.
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Malcolm & Marie
Directed by: Sam Levinson
Starring: John David Washington and Zendaya
Three stars
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
