Blue Sword 2025 Shows Limits of Sino-Saudi Naval Cooperation

 

A 20-day joint exercise between Saudi and Chinese naval special forces has concluded at the Royal Saudi Naval Force (RSNF) King Abdulaziz Naval Base at Jubail on the Arabian Gulf.  The base is the home of the RSNF Eastern Fleet's Special Operations Group 1.  The Marine brigades of both the Western and Eastern Fleet of the RSNF each have a special force element.

The scope of this year's exercise remained similar to that of the two previous Blue Sword exercises, and did not involve the deployment of any Chinese naval vessels from the 48th Naval Escort Group Escort Group now based in Djibouti. Thus it was not the harbinger of broader Saudi-Chinese military cooperation, showing limited ambition, and the training conducted was largely applicable to operations which each navy would wish to conduct on their own.

Over the course of the exercise, a total of about 100 special forces troops from both sides practiced counter-terrorism drills, both in built-up areas on land and at sea. The final exercise was the conduct of a hostage rescue from the crew of a hijacked vessel.

Blue Sword 2025 was the third joint naval special foces exercise that the two countries have conducted.  The exercise is held every two years, and rotates between the two countries. Blue Sword 2023 was held in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, the headquarters location of the Chinese South Sea Fleet.