Should India Worry About the Russia-China Joint Naval Exercise (Joint Sea-2016)?

With the increasing cross-border disputes, there seem to be countries teaming up against their common enemy *cough* China and Pakistan against India *cough*. While China and Russia kicked off naval drills in the South China Sea for 8 days (Joint Sea-2016), is it a cause to worry for India as its all-season ally, Russia shakes hands with China? Whatever the answer is, this move is likely to further stir tensions in the disputed waters.

Here are the details of this exercise:

1. China and Russia have held annual naval exercises since 2012, including in the East China Sea (2014) and Mediterranean Sea (2015).
2. This annual exercise of the two countries come in the backdrop of a tribunal appointed by the Permanent court of Arbitration when it struck down China’s claims to almost all over the South China Sea and upheld the Philippines rights over the area.
3. Joint Russian-Chinese naval drill “Joint Sea-2016” was held in the South China Sea on September 12-19.
4. The drill involved eighteen ships and support vessels, 21 aircraft, over 250 marines and 15 units of military equipment.
5. The two navies will carry out live-fire drills, sea crossing and island-landing operations, island defense and offense exercises among others.
6. The two navies will focus on joint air defense, joint anti-submarine, joint air and sea search and combat, a joint three-dimensional seizing of islands and reefs, joint search and rescue, joint boarding and inspection and joint exercises in the port stage.
7. Under simulated combat conditions, Chinese and Russian Marines will deploy from amphibious warships to storm an enemy-held beach, which is a bold political statement given by China to its neighboring countries.
8. Besides this, 19 aircraft including J-11B fighter jet, JH-7 fighter-bomber, airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) and multi-type ship-borne helicopters and some members of the Marine Corps also joined the drill.

Many countries including the US which extends tacit backing to them to assert their claims against China have been sending naval ships and military aircraft to maintain freedom of navigation in the disputed area. So, you decide whether it’s a reason for India to worry or not.