The BRICS group – seen as a counterweight to the US's global economic dominance – is an alliance of global economic powers that includes leading producers of key commodities such as oil, gas, grains, meat and minerals. Some members of the group started military exercises on Saturday, known as “Will for Peace 2026”. The host of the exercise – South Africa – describes it as Operation BRICS Plus, aimed at “ensuring the safety of navigation and economic activities at sea.”
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BRICS group exercises in South African waters
BRICS Plus is an extension of the geopolitical bloc, which originally (since 2009) included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. South Africa joined BRICS in 2011, followed by Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in 2024. In January 2025, the BRICS group expanded to include Indonesia.
As Reuters points out, the BRICS Plus military exercises are taking place at a particular moment of tensions between the administration of US President Donald Trump and South Africa, as well as several other countries of the association, including China, Iran, South Africa and Brazil.
China and Iran sent destroyers, Russia and the United Arab Emirates sent corvettes, and South Africa sent a medium-sized frigate. Chinese officials officiating the opening ceremony on Saturday said Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia and Ethiopia were joining the exercises as observers. India is not taking part in the exercise.
“Exercise Will for Peace 2026 brings together navies from BRICS Plus countries to ensure maritime security and practice interoperability,” South Africa's military said in a statement. Lt. Col. Mpho Mathebula, acting spokesman for joint operations, told Reuters that all members were invited.
Members of the Pro-Western Democratic Alliance, the second largest party in South Africa, opposed the maneuvers, claiming that the exercises “contradict the country's declared neutrality.” Mathebula rejected this criticism, emphasizing that “this is not a political arrangement and there is no hostility towards the US.” He added that South Africa also periodically conducts exercises with the US Navy.
Trump has previously accused the BRICS countries of conducting “anti-American” activities, and last year he threatened all members with a 10 percent trade tariff. Tension between the US and South Africa increased after Donald Trump refused to attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg, accusing South Africa of violating human rights.
