HONOLULU, Hawaii – On June 24th, the opening ceremony and press conference marked the start of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026, the 30th iteration of the world's largest international maritime exercise.
Thirty nations, over 30 surface ships, five submarines, 15 national land forces, more than 206 aircraft and 30,000 personnel will train and operate in and around the Hawaiian Islands during the exercise, which runs through July 31. RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants that are critical to ensuring the security of sea lanes and stability across the region.
“The Rim of the Pacific exercise continues to be the world’s premier multinational maritime training event, bringing together allies and partners committed to strengthening security and stability across the region,” said Vice Adm. Jeff Jablon, RIMPAC 2026 Commander, Combined Task Forces (CCTF), “By training together in complex, realistic scenarios, participating nations improve readiness, sharpen warfighting skills, and strengthen the interoperability required to operate effectively alongside one another whenever and wherever needed.”
RIMPAC 2026 marks a significant milestone as the 30th exercise in a series that began in 1971. As the world’s largest joint and combined exercise in the maritime domain, RIMPAC combines force capabilities in a dynamic maritime environment to demonstrate enduring interoperability across the full spectrum of military operations.
The theme of RIMPAC 2026 is “Partners: Integrated and Prepared,” underscoring the multinational commitment to collective readiness and interoperability in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Through realistic, high-end training, participating nations strengthen partnerships, enhance tactical proficiency, and improve their ability to operate together in support of regional security and stability.
Hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2026’s multi-national leadership is comprised of Chilean Navy Commodore Andres Howard, as Deputy Commander, Combined Task Force; Rear Adm. Takuo Kobayashi, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, as Vice Commander, Combined Task Force; Rear Adm. In-Ho Kim, Republic of Korea Navy, as Combined Forces Maritime Component Commander; and Brig. Gen. J.S. Davis, Royal Canadian Air Force, as Combined Forces Air Component Commander.
RIMPAC 2026 builds on the success of previous exercises by bringing together a coalition of allies and partners to demonstrate the flexibility and capability of maritime forces. The exercise includes a wide range of training events, including amphibious operations, gunnery and missile exercises, anti-submarine warfare, air defense operations, military medicine, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, counter-piracy operations, mine countermeasures, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations.
Throughout the exercise, participants will train and operate together to strengthen collective readiness, reinforce international partnerships, and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.
For more information and updates on RIMPAC 2026, visit http://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac and http://www.dvidshub.net/feature/RIMPAC2026.
Media inquiries should be directed to mailto:rimpac.media@us.navy.mil.