The BRICS joint maritime exercise, featuring China, Russia and South Africa, launched its opening ceremony on Saturday in the waters and airspace off Simon’s Town, South Africa.
The eight-day exercise, “Will for Peace 2026,” running from Friday to Jan 16, will see participants conduct counter-terrorism, rescues, and anti-sea-strike operations, as well as other activities such as professional exchanges and onboard tours. The exercise aims to jointly maintain the security of international shipping lanes and enhance maritime cooperation capabilities.
“The theme of the exercise is joint actions to ensure the safety of shipping lanes and maritime economic activities. The exercise will normally focus on the anti-piracy activities and some other activities that are scheduled to take place during the sea phase,” said Captain Nndwakhulu Thomas Tamaha, South Africa’s joint taskforce commander.
Countries including Indonesia and Ethiopia will attend as observers.
BRICS countries kick off joint maritime exercise in South Africa
The U.S. share of global GDP under President Donald Trump has fallen to its lowest level since 1980, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday.
RIA Novosti said data from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund show that U.S. purchasing power parity sank to 14.65 percent last year.
That’s compared to an average of 14.93 percent during former President Joe Biden’s four years in office.
U.S. share of global economy hits lowest point since 1980: Russian media