Navy shows rescue prowess in 40-nation South China Sea drill

The Navy successfully carried out what naval parlance calls “mating” with foreign submarines in the South China Sea, demonstrating the ability to operate jointly on defined missions.

During Exercise Pacific Reach 2025, hosted by Singapore, the Navy undertook a full spectrum of submarine intervention and rescue drills. Over three days, three successful “matings”, including with remotely operated vessels, were achieved. This showcased expanding global rescue capabilities, the Navy said today.

The newly commissioned specialised submarine rescue vessel INS Nistar engaged in multiple intervention and rescue operations. It played the role of mothership for deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV).

The exercise, conducted in contested waters of the South China Sea, saw the participation from 40 nations, including the US and Japan. India, the US, Japan, South Korea and Singapore deployed either submarines or submarine rescue ships.

China has unilateral overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea with Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.