RIMPAC 2026, the 30th edition of the Rim of the Pacific exercise, commenced on 24 June 2026 in the Hawaiian Islands and will run until 31 July 2026. The series is hosted from Pearl Harbor and involves multinational surface, subsurface and air assets.
Participation and Scale
- Participating nations: 30 countries.
- Major assets: ~40 surface ships, 5 submarines, >140 aircraft, 15 national land forces.
- Personnel: Approximately 25,000–30,000 military personnel.
- Unmanned systems: 30–35 experiments planned involving unmanned maritime and aerial platforms.
Operational Events
- Warfare drills: Anti-submarine warfare, air defence, missile exercises, live-fire events.
- Amphibious & land ops: Multinational amphibious assaults and land-force integration.
- Maritime security: Counter-piracy, mine countermeasures, explosive ordnance disposal.
- Humanitarian response: Humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief training.
Notable National Contributions & Leadership
- Commanding officer: Vice Adm. Jeff Jablon as Combined Task Forces Commander.
- Multinational naval command: Republic of Korea admiral commanding the combined naval component for the first time.
- ROK contributions: Aegis destroyer ROKS Jeongjo the Great (DDG 995), a submarine, frigate, amphibious ship, and patrol aircraft.
- Australia: HMAS Sydney, ADV Guidance, RAAF P‑8A and E‑7A; testing subsea/seabed warfare with AUKUS Pillar II partners.
- Absent European vessels: Germany and France did not send ships to RIMPAC 2026.
- Public outreach: Open Ship Day conducted at Joint Base Pearl Harbor‑Hickam on 27 June 2026.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Inception: RIMPAC first held in 1971; normally a biennial multinational maritime exercise.
- Host: Organised and hosted by the U.S. Pacific Fleet from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
- Purpose: Interoperability and combined maritime operations among Pacific and partner navies.