BRICS Naval Drills Off South Africa: Strategic Signal, Rising Tensions, and India’s Absence
Joint naval exercises involving several BRICS members, including China, Russia, Iran, and South Africa, have begun off South Africa’s coast, highlighting shifting geopolitical alignments and renewed global maritime tensions. However, two founding members of the bloc—India and Brazil—have chosen not to take part.
The weeklong Will for Peace 2026 drills started on Saturday near Simon’s Town, at the junction of the Indian and Atlantic oceans, and are being led by China. According to China’s Ministry of National Defence, the exercises include rescue operations, maritime strike drills, and technical exchanges. South Africa has described the manoeuvres as a necessary response to increasing maritime security challenges worldwide.
Warships participating in the drills include Chinese and Iranian destroyers, Russian and UAE corvettes, and a South African mid-sized frigate. Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, and Ethiopia are attending as observers. Iranian participation follows its admission to BRICS in 2024, alongside Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE under the bloc’s expanded “BRICS Plus” framework.
At the opening ceremony south of Cape Town, South Africa’s joint task force commander, Captain Nndwakhulu Thomas Thamaha, said the drills were more than a military exercise, calling them a statement of collective intent. South African officials framed the operation as aimed at safeguarding shipping lanes and maritime economic activity.
The exercises come at a time of strained relations between South Africa and the United States, which views BRICS as an economic and strategic challenge. They also follow heightened global tensions, including a recent US seizure of a Venezuela-linked Russian oil tanker and Washington’s increasingly confrontational posture toward countries such as Iran.
Former US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised BRICS, accusing some members of pursuing “anti-American” policies. Since returning to office, Trump has imposed or threatened steep tariffs on several BRICS countries, including India, and warned that a stronger BRICS alignment would not be tolerated. In response, BRICS leaders have condemned unilateral trade measures and criticised military strikes on Iran in their joint statements.
India and Brazil, despite being founding members of the bloc, opted out of the naval drills. While Brazil joined as an observer, India stayed away entirely. Analysts say New Delhi’s decision reflects its efforts to balance relations with Washington, particularly amid worsening trade ties and punitive US tariffs on Indian goods.
Geopolitical analyst Harsh Pant of the Observer Research Foundation said the drills fall outside BRICS’ original mandate, which focuses on economic cooperation rather than military alignment. He noted that India is reluctant to be associated with what could be perceived as anti-US military posturing and is wary of any shift in BRICS’ foundational character.
South Africa has previously hosted similar exercises—known earlier as Exercise Mosi—with China and Russia in 2019 and 2023. The current drills represent the third iteration, rebranded as Will for Peace 2026, after a planned 2025 edition was postponed due to scheduling conflicts with a G20 summit.
For South Africa, hosting the exercises carries diplomatic risks. Relations with Washington have deteriorated over trade disputes and Pretoria’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The drills have also drawn domestic criticism, with the Democratic Alliance arguing that BRICS lacks a shared defence role and warning that South Africa risks becoming entangled in great-power rivalries.
As the exercises continue, they underscore both the ambitions and the internal limits of BRICS—highlighting cooperation among some members while exposing hesitation and divergence among others.
