The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises this year will see Australia and New Zealand send two of their biggest ships to the multi-nation exercise which is the biggest maritime exercise in the world and is set to be held from June 29 to August 4 near the Hawaiian Islands and southern California. This move comes on the back of China making headway into the Pacific Ocean.
The countdown for Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022 has officially begun! Are you ready?! #RIMPAC2022 #CapableAdaptivePartners
Click the below link for more information:https://t.co/717XSjolzd pic.twitter.com/asVHYjJsti— RIMPAC (@RimofthePacific) June 1, 2022
HMAS Canberra heads towards Pacific
Australia premier warship HMAS Canberra left Fleet base East to begin a four-month deployment which will see it first take part in the RIMPAC exercises followed by other exercises. At RIMPAC, HMAS Warramunga and HMAS Supply, and potentially a Collins-class submarine will be joining the HMAS Canberra.
The Australian force for the exercise will also have Navy clearance divers and Army personnel aboard Canberra. The group will also be supported by two Australian P-8A Poseidon aircraft. A platoon from His Majesty’s Armed Forces, the military of Tonga will also be deployed on the HMAS Canberra.
Consequently, two other Australian Warships – HMAS Sydney and HMAS Perth are set to take part in a multi-lateral exercise with the US, Japan and South Korea. The 3rd Fleet-led Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) exercise, ‘Pacific Dragon’ will for the first time see Australia take part with its warships.
The exercise will provide Australia the chance to test its capacity to deploy new SM-6 missiles. The SM-6 missiles will provide terminal stage BMD capability for Australia’s Hobart-class air warfare destroyers.
New Zealand’s newest warship to take part in RIMPAC
New Zealand too will be deploying its state-of the-art warship HMNZS Aotearoa for the RIMPAC and other exercises. The HMNZS Aotearoa lets its home base – Devonport Naval Base on June 13. It is set for an extensive Asia-Pacific deployment.
Navy divers and the 16th Field Regiment members will be based on the HMNZS Aotearoa at RIMPAC and other exercises. RIMPAC will see one hundred eighty-five New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) personnel take part in the exercise.
HMNZS Aotearoa will also later take part in the Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces (JMSDF) international fleet review. The Republic of India too has decided to take part in the world’s biggest maritime exercise ‘Rim of the Pacific’ or RIMPAC.
Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga and the United Kingdom along with the United States will be the other participants at RIMPAC.
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise is held biennially during June and July. The exercise first began in 1971.
