The ‘Rim of the Pacific’ (RIMPAC) 2018 exercise — the world’s largest for maritime warfare — was held from June 27 to August 2 on and around the Hawaiian islands and near southern California.
LAST CALL FOR THE ‘BLUE BLASTERS’
RIMPAC’ IS AN exercise that is synonymous with US Paciic Command — enhancing interoperability amongst armed forces located in the Paciic Rim and beyond, ostensibly as a means of promoting stability in the region. It is described by the US Navy as, ‘a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the co-operative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea-lanes and security on the world’s oceans.’
The exercise is held every other year during the summer months and is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, with the 2018 edition being the 26th iteration of an event that dates back to 1971. This year, 25 nations, 46 ships, ive submarines, and about 200 aircraft participated. There were assets from the US plus Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, T…
