Chinese and Cambodian Navies Conduct Joint Live-Fire Drill in Sihanoukville

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia, May 28 – Chinese and Cambodian sailors participating in the “Golden Dragon 2024” joint exercise conducted a maritime live-fire drill near Sihanoukville Autonomous Port on May 27. This event marked the first live-fire drill jointly organized by the Chinese naval ship formation and the Royal Cambodian Navy.

The drill, themed “joint counter-terrorism operations and humanitarian relief,” simulated a scenario where terrorists hijacked a cargo ship. It focused on joint response, formation navigation, search operations, and armed rescue. A total of 16 naval ships from China and Cambodia took part in the exercise.

As the drill commenced in the morning, Chinese and Cambodian naval vessels formed a joint formation and quickly sailed to the simulated hijacking scene. The Chinese Navy’s amphibious dock landing ship Qilianshan served as the commanding ship. Upon identifying the target, ships from both nations closely coordinated and approached the “hijacked cargo ship” from multiple directions. To deter the joint formation, the “terrorists” set fire to the foredeck of the cargo ship. In response, Chinese ships swiftly moved in and extinguished the fire using high-pressure water cannons.

Simultaneously, over ten Cambodian commandos on assault boats approached the cargo ship and conducted an armed rescue operation. The Chinese medical team then transferred the “injured crew members” from the cargo ship to a maritime medical aid station for emergency treatment and prepared for further evacuation.

The drill featured mixed groups of Chinese and Cambodian ships, promoting mutual learning and enhancing command and coordination capabilities, as well as joint emergency response readiness. This collaborative effort significantly improved the operational synergy between the two navies.