Will for Peace 2026 is a weeklong multinational naval exercise led by China from Simon’s Town, South Africa, involving warships from China, Russia, Iran, the UAE and South Africa, with Brazil and several other states observing. India chose not to participate, citing concerns about being drawn into a military posture for BRICS and the need to balance ties with the United States. Pretoria says the drills are a BRICS Plus initiative to protect shipping and deepen maritime cooperation, but the exercises risk further straining relations with Washington amid wider geopolitical tensions.
BRICS Naval Drills Off South Africa: Why 'Will for Peace 2026' Matters — And Why India Sat Out
From left, the Chinese guided-missile destroyer Tangshan (Hull 122), the Russian corvette Stoikiy, the Iranian IRIS Naghdi and the South African SAS Amatola (F145) in Simon’s Town harbour near Cape Town on January 9, 2026 [Rodger Bosch/AFP]
Joint naval manoeuvres billed as "Will for Peace 2026" have begun off South Africa’s Simon’s Town, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. The weeklong exercises — led by China and involving ships from Russia, Iran, the UAE and South Africa — are being presented by Pretoria as a BRICS Plus effort to protect shipping and maritime economic activity. India and Brazil, two founding BRICS members, did not participate as full partners: Brazil took an observer role while India stayed away.
Naval officers march along the quay in Simon’s Town harbour on January 10, 2026, the day the exercises involving BRICS Plus countries began. [Rodger Bosch/AFP]
What Is Happening?
The drills include rescue operations, maritime strike exercises and technical exchanges, according to China’s Ministry of National Defence. Participating vessels reportedly include Chinese and Iranian destroyers, Russian and UAE corvettes, and a South African frigate. Observers at the opening ceremony included Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia and Ethiopia.
US President Donald Trump, right, meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House on May 21, 2025, in Washington, DC [Evan Vucci/AP Photo]
Why The Exercises Matter
Pretoria has framed the operation as a BRICS Plus initiative to safeguard shipping lanes and deepen cooperation on maritime security. Organisers say the exercises aim to improve interoperability, search-and-rescue capabilities and shared procedures for protecting commercial routes amid growing global maritime tensions.
A group of pro-Ukraine protesters demonstrate against the Russian navy’s presence in Simon’s Town on January 9, 2026 [Rodger Bosch/AFP]
“It is a demonstration of our collective resolve to work together,” said South Africa’s joint task force commander, Captain Nndwakhulu Thomas Thamaha. “In an increasingly complex maritime environment, cooperation such as this is not an option. It is essential.”
Geopolitical Context And Concerns
The drills come against a backdrop of heightened friction between several BRICS members and the United States. Washington recently seized a Venezuela-linked Russian oil tanker, citing sanctions violations, and US trade and tariff policy under President Donald Trump has become more confrontational toward some BRICS countries. Trump has publicly threatened tariffs and used strong rhetoric about nations he views as challenging US interests.
A Russian vessel arrives at Naval Base Simon’s Town before the BRICS Plus naval exercises [Esa Alexander/Reuters]
Analysts say the naval exercise advances a narrative by China, Russia and some partners that they can act together to protect maritime interests, but it also risks heightening tensions with the US and other Western capitals. For South Africa, hosting the drills has already sparked criticism at home and abroad, and the exercises revive a format previously run as Exercise Mosi in 2019 and 2023.
Why India Sat Out
New Delhi’s decision to abstain reflects a desire to avoid being seen as part of a military posture for BRICS. Analysts such as Harsh Pant of the Observer Research Foundation say India prefers to keep BRICS focused on economic cooperation and to balance its relationship with the United States. India’s continuing purchases of Russian oil have strained ties with Washington, making Delhi cautious about public alignment in military exercises perceived as countering US influence.
Domestic Politics And International Fallout
Domestically, South Africa’s participation has drawn criticism from opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance, which argues BRICS lacks a defensive mandate that would justify such drills. Internationally, the exercises may further complicate Pretoria’s relationship with Washington, already strained by disputes including trade measures and South Africa’s legal actions at the International Court of Justice.
What To Watch
- Whether more BRICS or BRICS Plus states shift from observer roles to active participation in future exercises.
- Any formal declarations or follow-up security cooperation that signal a broader shift in BRICS’s role beyond economic and diplomatic engagement.
- Responses from Washington and NATO partners — including diplomatic protests, sanctions, or changes in naval posture near the drills.
The Will for Peace 2026 exercises highlight an evolving strategic dimension to BRICS engagement. Even if intended as defensive or cooperative, such manoeuvres will be interpreted politically and could shape how BRICS is perceived internationally in the months ahead.
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