New Delhi, India – Joint naval drills involving several members of the BRICS bloc, including China, Russia and Iran, have kicked off near South Africa’s coast with South Africa describing the manoeuvres as a vital response to rising maritime tensions globally.The weeklong Will for Peace 2026 exercises, which started on Saturday, are being led by China in Simon’s Town, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. They will include drills on rescue and maritime strike operations and technical exchanges, China’s Ministry of National Defence said.The drills involving warships from the participating countries come amid frayed ties between South Africa and the United States. Washington sees the bloc as an economic threat.The BRICS acronym is derived from the initial letters of the founding member countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – with South Africa serving as the current chair. India and Brazil, however, opted out of the drills.So why do the drills matter, and what is their aim? And why are some founding members not participating? From left, the Chinese guided-missile destroyer Tangshan (Hull 122), the Russian corvette Stoikiy, the Iranian IRIS Naghdi and the South African SAS Amatola (F145) in Simon’s Town harbour near Cape Town on January 9, 2026 [Rodger Bosch/AFP]Who is participating in the drills?China and Iran sent destroyers, Russia and the United Arab Emirates sent corvettes and South Africa deployed a mid-sized …
