

But when Brazil and India aren’t in that, it’s per definition not BRICS, the article state the exercise is by BRICS members, but it is not BRICS.
Calling this a BRICS exercise is exclusively something that exist in the head of the author of the article, and there is absolutely zero reference to any BRICS defense pact.
Even if China, Russia, and South Africa make a defense pact, it is per definition not BRICS without including Brazil and India.




Because formally NATO is still NATO.
China, Russia, and South Africa are not BRICS and nothing in the article you linked indicated the exercise had anything to do with the BRICS cooperation that is 100% economic.