U.S. Navy begins the 2022 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world’s largest international maritime exercise

The U.S. Naval force launched the 28th edition of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world’s biggest international maritime activity on June 29, 2022.

26 nations, 38 surface ships, four submarines, nine national land forces, in excess of 30 unmanned systems, roughly 170 aircraft, and in excess of 25,000 personnel will prepare and work in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California, from June 29 to Aug. 4.

Following RIMPAC’s theme of Capable Adaptive Partners, RIMPAC forces will practice a great many capacities, projecting the intrinsic flexibility of maritime forces and assisting with advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific.

A sum of 21 United States partner nation ships, including one submarine, from 14 countries are currently docked at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Hawaii for the Rim of the Pacific 2022 (RIMPAC 2022) practice that starts off today.

26 nations, including the United States as the host, are partaking in the activity scheduled to go through August 4 in and close to the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.

The biggest contingent is from the Republic of Korea (ROK), which sent three ships and one submarine, trailed by the Royal Australian Navy, with three ships. Canada, Japan, and Mexico sent two ships each, while Chile, France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, and Singapore each sent a solitary ship. A few of the ships included embarked helicopters for the biennial drills.

Although the U.S. Navy force has not yet officially given the list of partner nation ships partaking, official news releases throughout the last month free from the navies forces and defense ministries of the countries participating have permitted USNI News to assemble the list below:

Australia

• Landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (L02)
• Frigate HMAS Warramunga (FFH152)
• Replenishment ship HMAS Supply (A195)

Canada

• Frigates HMCS Vancouver (FFH331) and HMCS Winnipeg (FFH338)

Chile

• Frigate Almirante Lynch (FF07)

France

• Frigate FS Prairial (F731)

India

• Frigate INS Satpura (F48)

Indonesia

• Frigate KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai (332)

Japan

• Helicopter Destroyer JS Izumo (DDH-183)
• Destroyer JS Takanami ((DD-110)

Malaysia

• Corvette KD Lekir (FSG26)

Mexico

• Frigate ARM Juárez (POLA-101)
• Landing ship tank ARM Usumacinta (A412)

New Zealand

• Replenishment ship HMNZS Aotearoa (A11)

Peru

• Corvette BAP Guise (CC-28) – corvette

The Philippines

• Frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151)

Republic of Korea

• Landing helicopter platform ROKS Marado (LPH-6112)
• Destroyers ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG-991) and ROKS Munmu the Great (DDH-976)
• Assault submarine ROKS Shin Dol-Seok (SS-082)

Singapore

• Frigate RSS Intrepid (69)

38 surface ships, four submarines, nine national land forces, over 170 aircraft, and around 25,000 personnel will participate in the drills, as per a U.S. 3rd Fleet news release about RIMPAC 2022.

Countries taking part incorporate Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Countries not represented by ships at the activity will be represented by ground elements, alongside participation either in the different combined command and staff groups or as spectators.

Four countries- Australia, India, Japan, and the ROK – have affirmed that their fixed-wing aircraft will join, with two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), an Indian Navy P-8I MPA, a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) P-1 MPA and a Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) P-3 Orion MPA.

Ground elements uncovered include:

A Joint Landing Force from Australia, which will have a platoon from His Majesty’s Armed Forces of Tonga, an Indonesian Marine Corps platoon, a Mexican Marines company, and a New Zealand Army Joint Fires Team that will incorporate Joint Terminal Attack Controllers.
The ROK will handle a significant ground element with a ROK Marine Corps organization, four Naval Special Warfare Flotilla teams, and a Naval mobile construction unit.

A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) element of 40 personnel will likewise partake in RIMPAC, however, Japan still can’t seem to determine what the JGSDF element will do in the activity.

Preceding Tuesday, some of the ships partaking in RIMPAC did joint sailing and exercise activities. Canadian frigates Vancouver and Winnipeg, Chilean frigate Almirante Lynch and Peruvian corvette Guise – alongside U.S. Navy force ships that included destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) – led a joint sail from San Diego to Hawaii that included maneuver, gunfire, replenishment, and communication works out.

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) pulled into Hawaii on Tuesday in front of the beginning of RIMPAC.

After the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and the Australian RIMPAC 2022 contingent cruised together last week, Japanese helicopter destroyer Izumo and destroyer Takanami completed a replenishment exercise with USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187) on Sunday prior to doing a joint activity with the French frigate Prairial on Monday.

Royal Malaysian Navy corvette Lekir likewise completed a replenishment exercise with Henry J. Kaiser prior to docking into Pearl Harbor on Tuesday.

Interestingly, the Republic of Korea Rear Adm. Sangmin A will act as the Commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 176, RIMPAC’s amphibious task force. Republic of Singapore Navy Col. Kwan Hon Chuong will act as the Sea Combat Commander for CTF 176, and Royal Australian Navy Capt. Michael Osborn CSM will act as the Sea Logistics Commander, CTF 173.

This denotes whenever the recently commissioned Royal Australian Navy first stock Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship HMAS Supply will partake in an international activity,carrying-out replenishments at seas by taking part navies forces.

The current year’s activity program will incorporate gunnery, missile, anti-submarine, and air defense exercises, as well as amphibious counter-piracy, mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal, diving, and salvage operations, Additionally and exercise will also introduce space and cyber operations for all partner nations.