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HONOLULU – Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division delivered technical expertise and operational support across multiple disciplines during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii, June 24 to July 31, 2026. From advanced manufacturing to data management, NSWC Corona Division’s support spans the entirety of the world’s largest international maritime exercise.
During RIMPAC 2026, the joint force modernizes their capabilities while building, maintaining and leveraging interoperability. Beyond the sibling U.S. branches, this exercise features multifaceted operations with international partners to simulate a contested environment.
"We learn how each country operates; everybody operates slightly different," said Michael Green, a warfare systems analyst with NSWC Corona Division. "It's important to understand allies, get to know each other, and understand how we operate. We may have to operate together for a certain mission, and these are good opportunities to get together and work out some of those bugs."
While no one branch could operate in a silo, ultimately, neither can international partnerships. NSWC Corona led the installation of Iridium Tracking Units on 30 U.S. and partner nation vessels participating in RIMPAC. Given that many international allies utilize different shipboard systems, the Iridium Tracking Units (ITUs) provide a compatible system to track vessel locations and create the exercise’s common operational picture.
"[An ITU is] a GPS tracker that's being used to maintain a common operating picture for Third Fleet... to know where all the ships are at all times, given that there's many different systems for different navies," said Jim Bounds, project lead for the Quantitative Fleet Feedback program at NSWC Corona Division.
These devices serve as a highly reliable riskmitigation measure to address any data link interoperability issues between multinational ship participants, ensuring all ship positions can be monitored within the Combined Exercise Control Group at the Pacific Warfighting Center. The units play a key role in supporting RIMPAC’s assessments of objectives, situational awareness and seaside positioning.
In addition to the Iridium Tracking Units, NSWC Corona installed a Portable Advanced Telemetry Acquisition System (PATAS) onto Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Regina (FFH 334). These unique telemetry systems deployed aboard vessels to capture and process performance data directly from missile-borne telemeters. The captured data collected enables analysts to evaluate missile firings to determine pass or fail criteria.
“Whenever we do an operational test, we collect everything we possibly can. It's even better if we can get data from the missile itself. The telemetry equipment is designed to send more data so we can have a comprehensive view," said Royal Canadian Navy Lt. Derek Frank, an operations room officer aboard HMCS Regina (FFH 334).
Concurrent with other events, NSWC Corona Division engineers worked alongside experts across all branches of the Department of War to operationalize advanced manufacturing – a major effort steered by Naval Postgraduate School’s Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) and FLEETWERX. The exercise involved deploying systems aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), USS Essex (LHD 2) and Canada’s MV Asterix (A147) to enable shipboard advanced manufacturing. As engineering lead for the exercise’s Joint Advanced Manufacturing Center at Schofield Barracks, NSWC Corona reverse-engineered, designed, printed and implemented various components such as valves, door hinges, covers and even drone parts – all while training joint-force warfighters throughout the process.
“In previous exercises, we were just testing if the machines worked. RIMPAC 2026 is about operationalizing the technology, proving these printers can survive real-world deployments on active warships," said Kevin Demesa, lead engineer in the Expeditionary Systems Engineering Division at NSWC Corona Division.
For some parts, replacement through traditional supply chains can take months to years. Advanced manufacturing creates a more resilient logistics network by reducing timelines and costs, delivering mission-critical parts and capabilities directly to the point of need.
"We're working out of Schofield Barracks, an Army base, to get Navy-built Marine Corps parts onto a Navy ship," said Lucas Grinius, a mechanical engineer with the Expeditionary Systems Engineering Division at NSWC Corona Division, discussing the significant joint-force collaboration throughout the exercise. "It really does feel like one unified team trying to get to this goal."
By providing real-time tracking, expert telemetry, and on-demand advanced manufacturing, NSWC Corona Division established the necessary framework to ensure the multinational force remains lethal, integrated, and prepared.
Thirty nations, over 30 surface ships, five submarines, 15 national land forces, more than 206 aircraft and 30,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 24 to July 31, 2026. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2026 is the 30th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
| Date Taken: | 07.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2026 17:36 |
| Story ID: | 571164 |
| Location: | HONOLULU, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
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