The international maritime exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2020 concluded August 31 following two weeks of at-sea-only training events conducted around the Hawaiian Islands.
RIMPAC 2020 was the 27th exercise in the series that began in 1971. Ten nations, 22 ships, one submarine and more than 5,300 personnel participated in this year’s RIMPAC edition.
RIMPAC 2020 saw the participation of forces from Australia , Brunei, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of the Philippines , Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United States.
The event included 53 replenishment-at-sea events, 101 pallets of cargo distributed, over 16,000 rounds of small arms munitions shot, over 1,000 large caliber weapons fired, 13 missiles expended, and 1,100 pounds of mail delivered.
The at-sea-only construct for RIMPAC 2020 was developed to ensure the safety of all military forces participating, and Hawaii’s population, by minimizing shore-based contingents, while striking a balance between combating future adversaries and the COVID-19 threat.
Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet crafted the modified RIMPAC plan as a way to conduct a meaningful exercise with maximum training value and minimum risk to the force, allies and partners, and the people of Hawaii.
“I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to all participating nations in RIMPAC 2020. Our mutual commitment toward a free and open Indo-Pacific will ensure unfettered open access to the seas and airways upon which our people and economies depend, now and into the future,” said Adm. John C. Aquilino , commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
The biennial exercise contributes to the increased lethality, resiliency, and agility needed by the Joint and Combined Force to deter and defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict. The exercise provides a unique training opportunity that strengthens international maritime partnerships, enhances interoperability, and improves the readiness of participating forces for a wide range of potential operations.
The training program included multinational anti-submarine warfare, maritime intercept operations, and live-fire training events, among other cooperative training opportunities.