AUGUST 3, 2026 – The biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world’s largest combined and joint maritime exercise successfully concluded, July 31.
RIMPAC 2026, the 30th iteration of the exercise, began June 24 and brought together 30 nations, more than 30,000 personnel, 30 surface ships, five submarines, and more than 197 aircraft under the theme, Partners: Integrated and Prepared. Throughout five weeks of realistic training, participating forces enhanced combined and joint interoperability, strengthened readiness, and reinforced the partnerships that support maritime security across the Indo-Pacific.
“No single nation can ensure security in the Pacific alone,” said U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Jeff Jablon, Commander, RIMPAC 2026 Combined Task Force. “The global maritime environment is too large and too complex for any one country to safeguard by itself. RIMPAC gives us the chance to build the trust and relationships that make us stronger long before any crisis happens.”
The exercise also coincided with the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary, underscoring the enduring partnerships that continue to strengthen security across the Pacific. For 250 years, the U.S. Navy has worked alongside allies and partners to promote maritime security by building relationships founded on trust, cooperation, and shared values. RIMPAC puts those principles into practice by providing a venue where participating forces train together, improve interoperability, and strengthen the relationships that enable combined and joint operations.
“The network of allies and partners in the region is an asymmetric advantage,” Jablon said. “The work participating nations do at RIMPAC builds the combined and joint ability to deter conflict and supports all nations in exercising their sovereign rights and freedoms in the maritime domain.”
RIMPAC was conducted in three phases. During the in-port phase, participants established multinational command relationships, planned operations, and strengthened partnerships through professional exchanges, cultural events, and sporting competitions. During the at-sea phase, participating forces executed complex combined and joint training, including anti-submarine warfare, maritime strike, integrated air and missile defense, amphibious operations, and logistics. The exercise concluded with a free-play scenario in which opposing forces reacted dynamically to one another in order to evaluate the force’s combined and joint maritime capabilities.
Throughout the exercise, participating forces executed more than 500 maritime training events, flew more than 2,400 sorties, and responded to more than 5,000 scenario-based operational problem sets. The realistic training strengthened combined and joint readiness while improving participants’ ability to operate together across all domains.
“Interoperability is something we must continue to develop,” said Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Rear Adm. Takuo Kobayashi, Vice Commander, RIMPAC 2026 Combined Task Force. “RIMPAC brings together allies and partners committed to strengthening security and stability across the region. The daily conversations, shared experiences, and personal relationships developed throughout the exercise strengthen our ability to respond together, whether supporting maritime security or assisting communities following a disaster.”
RIMPAC 2026 featured several milestones across leadership, innovation, and combined and joint operations.
Leadership · A representative from the Republic of Korea Navy, commanded the RIMPAC 2026 Combined Force Maritime Component. · A representative from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force served as Vice Commander, RIMPAC 2026 Combined Task Force. · A Chilean Navy representative commanded the Maritime Logistics Support Element, becoming the first non-Anglophone partner nation to lead the mission, and key leaders from Brunei served as the maritime lead, while a Canadian representative served as the air lead. · A representative from the Indian Navy served as deputy commander of RIMPAC 2026 Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare Combined Task Force 174. · A Peruvian Navy representative commanded the RIMPAC 2026 Combined Amphibious Task Force 176.1. · A representative from the Royal Canadian Air Force served as deputy commander of RIMPAC 2026 Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Combined Task Force 172. · The Philippine Coast Guard, Fiji, Greece, Guatemala, Poland, and Spain made their RIMPAC debuts. · Representative from Canada led RIMPAC 2026 first multination maritime tactical combat casualty care course for non-medical exercise participants, elevating coalition readiness and strengthening shared standards of care.
Innovation · An unmanned surface vessel successfully maneuvered into the well deck of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), delivering additive manufactured supplies. · The U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force executed dual Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile launches from maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. · The Joint Advanced Manufacturing Cell conducted the Department of the Navy’s largest advanced manufacturing demonstration, deploying containerized expeditionary 3D-hybrid metal manufacturing systems aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), USS Essex, and MV Asterix (A147) enabling onboard production and repair of mission-critical components while underway. · Representatives from the U.S. and partner nations coordinated the first coalition meteorology and oceanography forecasting cell, enabling the exchange of technical skills.
Combined and Joint Operations · A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter detachment embarked aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer. · The Republic of Korea Navy deployed its newly introduced P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft during combined anti-submarine warfare operations. · U.S. Army rotary-wing aircraft embarked aboard USS Essex, demonstrating pre-amphibious raid sea-basing capabilities. · Two live-fire sinking exercises integrated forces from Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, demonstrating combined and joint maritime strike capabilities in a realistic operational environment. · U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces, alongside multinational partners, executed a large-scale amphibious operation that demonstrated ship-to-shore integration, helicopter-borne air assault, tactical combat casualty care, and landing craft recovery operations. · U.S. and Canadian medical personnel embarked aboard USS Essex as part of the medical emergency response and forward surgical teams, providing real-world casualty evacuation and underway surgical procedures.
“RIMPAC provides partner nations the opportunity to train alongside allies and partners in a realistic, multinational environment designed to improve combined maritime operations,” said Republic of Korea Navy Rear Adm. In-ho Kim, Commander, RIMPAC 2026 Combined Force Maritime Component. “By training together in these complex scenarios, nations improve readiness, refine warfighting skills, and build the teamwork needed to operate effectively side by side.”
RIMPAC 2026 demonstrated that maritime security is strengthened through trust, cooperation, and shared values. By training together in a realistic operational environment, participating nations improved their ability to operate as a combined and joint force across the full spectrum of maritime operations.
RIMPAC 2026 was hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet and spearheaded by U.S. 3rd Fleet. Multinational leadership was integrated throughout the exercise, with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Rear Adm. Takuo Kobayashi serving as Vice Commander, RIMPAC 2026 Combined Task Force; Chilean Navy Commodore Andres Howard serving as Deputy Commander, RIMPAC 2026 Combined Task Force; Republic of Korea Navy Rear Adm. In-ho Kim serving as Commander, RIMPAC 2026 Combined Force Maritime Component; and Royal Canadian Air Force Brig. Gen. J. S. Davis serving as Commander, RIMPAC 2026 Combined Force Air Component.
Thirty nations, 30 surface ships, five submarines, 15 national land forces, more than 197 aircraft, and more than 30,000 personnel participated in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands from June 24 to July 31. As the world’s largest combined and joint maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that strengthens interoperability and fosters trust, cooperation, and shared values among allies and partners. These relationships contribute to the security of sea lanes and support a free and open Indo-Pacific. RIMPAC 2026 marked the 30th exercise in the series, which began in 1971.
Please visit the RIMPAC 2026 video.
For more information about RIMPAC, please visit RIMPAC website and DVIDS’s RIMAC 2026.