On 28 June the opening ceremony took place at Pearl Harbor for the 29th edition of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world’s largest international maritime exercise. Taking part are 29 nations with 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel.
They will train and operate in and around the Hawaiian Islands during the exercise, which runs until 1 August. The Exercise organisers have said “RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.”
The participating nations are Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Republic of Korea, Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The participating ships are:
Surface Combatants
- USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70)
- USS Princeton (CG 59)
- USS Kidd (DDG 100)
- USS Sterett (DDG 104)
- USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110)
- USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62)
- USS Gridley (DDG 101)
- USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54)
- USS Somerset (LPD 25)
- USCGC Midgett (WMSL 757)
- HMAS Sydney (DDG 48)
- KDB Darussalam (06)
- KDB Darulaman (08)
- HMCS Max Bernays (AOPV 432)
- HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331)
- CNS Condell (PFG 06)
- FS Bretagne (D 655)
- FGS Baden-Wurttemberg (F 222)
- INS Shivalik (F47)
- KRI Raden Eddy Martadinata (331)
- ITS Montecuccoli (P 432)
- JS Haguro (DDG 180)
- JS Kunisaki (LST 4003)
- KD Lekiu (FFG 30)
- ARM Benito Juárez (POLA-101)
- ARM Usumacinta (A 412)
- HMNLMS Tromp (F 803)
- BAP Pisco (AMP 156)
- ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin (DDH 975)
- ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG 992)
- ROKS Cheon Ja Bong (LST-687)
- RSS Stalwart (72)
Submarines
- USS North Carolina (SSN 777)
- USS Topeka (SSN 754)
- ROKS Lee Beom-seok (SS 81)
Support Ships
- USNS Pecos (T-AO 197)
- USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11)
- USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205)
- USNS Grasp (T-ARS-51)
- MV Asterix
- FGS Frankfurt Am Main (A 1412)
- HMNZS Aotearoa (A 11)
Vice Admiral John Wade, Commander, US 3rd Fleet said “The Rim of the Pacific exercise has grown over the years to be the world’s largest and premier joint combined maritime training opportunity,” said and RIMPAC 2024 Combined Task Force (CTF) commander. “The exercise’s purpose is to build relationships, to enhance interoperability and proficiency and, ultimately, contribute to the peace and stability in the vitally-important Indo-Pacific region.”
The theme of RIMPAC 2024 is Partners: Integrated and Prepared. For the first time in RIMPAC history, a member of the Chilean Navy, Commodore Alberto Guerrero, will serve as deputy commander of the CTF. Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force Rear Admiral Kazushi Yokota will serve as the Vice Commander. Other key leaders of the multinational force will include Commodore Kristjan Monaghan of the Royal Canadian Navy, who will command the maritime component, and Air Commodore Louise Des Jardins of the Royal Australian Air Force, who will command the air component.
This year’s RIMPAC will host its largest humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercise with eight countries, five ships, five landing craft, five aircraft, multiple land forces, and over 2,500 total participants including the statewide Hawaii Healthcare Emergency Management exercise.
During RIMPAC, participating forces integrate and exercise a wide range of capabilities, from disaster relief to maritime security operations, and from sea control to complex warfighting. The relevant, realistic preparation and training syllabus includes amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine, and air defence exercises, as well as military medicine, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations.
With inclusivity at its core, RIMPAC fosters multinational cooperation and trust, leverages interoperability, and achieves respective national objectives to strengthen integrated, prepared, coalition partners.
Source: USN
