Vince Pissani
The 26th Annual Rim of the Pacific(RIMPAC) Training Exercise is underway off the coast of Hawaii. This month long military exercise includes 45 naval vessels(Full list available here), 200+ aircraft, and around 25,000 military personal from the 25 participating nations naval and marine services. Over the course of the exercise participating military forces will practice disaster relief, maritime security, amphibious, counter-piracy, mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal, diving, and salvage operations. It is worth noting that several of this year’s participating nations are experiencing increased tensions with China. This is the result of China’s self-proclaimed “Nine-Dash Line” and their increased military activity in the South China Sea; which also resulted in their invitation to this year’s exercise being revoked. Overall; the exercise should reiterate U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific region in the face of Chinese provocations and provide more inter-service cooperation in the future.
