UAE maintains low profile at ‘BRICS+' naval exercise

Tangshan in Simon's Town naval base on the left, with tugs helping Stoiky to dock in the centre, Naghdi on the right, and Taihu anchored in the background. (AFP via Getty Images)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) sent a corvette to South Africa for Exercise ‘Will For Peace 2026' from 9 to 16 January, but the vessel was not seen in the official coverage.

The presence of the Emirati Gowind corvette Bani Yas (P 110) was confirmed when a local South African photographer captured the corvette as it sailed past Makran (441), a converted oil tanker in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN), off the naval base at Simon's Town on 9 January.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) released several photos of the Chinese destroyer Tangshan (122), replenishment ship Taihu (889), and the Russian corvette Stoiky (545) arriving at Simon's Town, but only one photograph of an Iranian ship – Makran – and none of Bani Yas or Yelnya, a tanker that was supporting Stoiky on its voyage down Africa's western coast.

Other photographs showed Iran also sent the corvette Naghdi (82) and Shahid Mahdavi (110-3), the latter being a converted container ship in service with the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy rather than the IRIN. While Naghdi, Stoiky, and Tangshan were all seen docked in the naval base, Bani Yas appears to have remained at sea.

The imagery the SANDF released of the parade that opened the exercise on 10 January showed Chinese, Iranian, and Russian naval contingents attended, but not an Emirati one. The UAE's flag was flown during the ceremony alongside those of Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia, none of which acknowledged their involvement.