QINGDAO: Chinese and Russian troops launched a simulated naval blockade yesterday morning, sending 10 military vessels and more than 20 aircraft to take part in their first-ever joint military exercise dubbed "Peace Mission 2005."

A Chinese warship fires missiles during a China-Russia joint military exercise off China's Shandong Peninsula August 23, 2005. [newsphoto]

Chinese hardware included three destroyers, three frigates, two submarines and more than 20 battle planes of various types, while Russia contributed the submarine-hunting ship Marshall Shaposhnikov, the missile-guided destroyer Burny, a KA-27 helicopter and an A-50 long-range early warning aircraft .

The war game began at 11:00 am with two groups of Chinese jet fighters flying across the sky above the waters off East China's Shandong Peninsula. They fired air-to-air missiles to intercept mock rival aircraft and took control of the skies over the exercise zone.

The joint naval fleet, comprised of destroyers, frigates and anti-submarine vessels from the two navies, then simulated a submarine hunt. Helicopters dropped anti-sub torpedoes and destroyers fired depth charges.

Under the guidance of early warning aircraft, a Chinese submarine launched a missile to attack supposed rival military vessels. This was followed by a bombardment from jet fighters and bombers.

The Russian destroyer also fired a Moskit missile to launch a precision attack against the enemy.

The one-hour blockade, signalling the beginning of the third stage of the eight-day joint military drill, was commanded by Lieutenant General Zhang Zhannan, commander of the North Sea Fleet and Admiral Viktor Fyodorov, commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet.

Top officers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), high-ranking government officials, representatives of member and observer states of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO), and Chinese and Russian veterans watched the war games as well as the following procession of the joint fleet yesterday.

Colonel Srinivasan Lakshmi Narasimhan from the Indian Defence Ministry told China Daily yesterday that the drill was "very impressive" and showed good co-ordination between the Chinese and Russian navies.

"It shows the PLA is becoming more open and more self-confident," he said.

India, together with Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia, joined the SCO this year as observer countries.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov headed to the Chinese city of Qingdao yesterday and is scheduled to watch war games today and tomorrow, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.

Ivanov will watch troops landing an amphibious force and a battle to capture Langyatai, about 120 kilometres from Qingdao, said the ministry.