The Komodo 2014 multilateral naval exercise in the East Sea involving 18 countries, including Vietnam, kicked off its first episode on Monday under the theme “ASEAN Cooperation Navy for Stability,” local newswire Vietnamplus cited Russian media as reporting.

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The newswire, a subsidiary of the official Vietnam News Agency, said that early on Monday naval ships belonging to six of these countries, including Russia, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, moved towards Natuna Island to begin the episode, in which they simulated a search and rescue operation in the East Sea. On the first day of the active phase of the maneuvers, helicopters from the Russian anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov, the Indonesian frigate Yos Sudarso, and the Japanese destroyer Akebono landed on naval ships in turn to disembark rescue teams. On the evening of the same day, ships of the multinational forces conducted a communications exercise. On Tuesday, April 1, the exercise is scheduled to continue off Natuna, and seamen from several countries will hold a practice tsunami evacuation. They will be evacuated from the site of the calamity on helicopters. A squadron of Russian Pacific Fleet’s ships will take part in the exercise, including the Marshal Shaposhnikov, the Irkut tanker, and the Alatau service ship. The 18 countries involved in the exercise include the ASEAN countries, China, the United States, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, India, the Republic of Korea, and Japan. The exercise, which focuses on naval humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations, will last until April 3.