The world's largest international maritime exercise is underway. Rim of the Pacific 2026 — the 30th iteration of a series that began in 1971 — kicked off on June 24 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. It will run through July 31, and the numbers alone tell a story: 30 nations, 31 surface ships, five submarines, more than 206 aircraft, and roughly 30,000 personnel operating in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

Vice Admiral Jeff Jablon, RIMPAC 2026 Combined Task Force Commander and deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, set the tone at the opening press conference: "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."

A Carrier Strike Group at the Centre

Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and Carrier Air Wing 9 are leading the American contingent. The strike group includes guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin (CG-65), destroyers USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60), USS Decatur (DDG-73), USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG-108), and USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120). Amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2) rounds out the surface force, operating with elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Beneath the waves, attack submarines USS Charlotte (SSN-766) and USS Columbia (SSN-771) are participating. Charlotte already made headlines in March when she torpedoed and sank Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka during Operation Epic Fury — a rare real-world submarine engagement that adds a layer of operational credibility to her RIMPAC presence.

30 Nations, One Ocean

The participating nations span four continents. The U.S. Navy has not released the full 2026 roster, but the field is one nation larger than the 29 that took part in RIMPAC 2024, and Hawaii-based reporting names Poland, Spain, Guatemala, Greece and Fiji among the first-time participants — joining RIMPAC regulars such as Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Multi-national leadership positions reflect the exercise's coalition character — a Chilean commodore serves as deputy commander, a Japanese rear admiral as vice commander, a South Korean rear admiral as maritime component commander, and a Canadian brigadier general as air component commander.

The theme for 2026 is "Partners: Integrated and Prepared," and the training menu covers the full spectrum of maritime operations: amphibious landings, gunnery and missile exercises, anti-submarine warfare, air defense, humanitarian assistance, counter-piracy, mine countermeasures, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations.

Sinking Ships and Armed Robots

RIMPAC traditionally includes a Sinking Exercise (SINKEX), and 2026 is no exception. The decommissioned Ticonderoga-class cruiser ex-USS Mobile Bay and Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship ex-USS Peleliu (LHA-5) will serve as live-fire targets — subjected to missiles, torpedoes, and bombs from participating nations in what amounts to the most dramatic training event of the exercise.

But the autonomous dimension may prove more consequential in the long run. Saildrone and Lockheed Martin have announced plans to demonstrate a JAGM (Joint Air-to-Ground Missile) launcher mounted on a Saildrone Surveyor unmanned surface vessel, with a live-fire shot against a manoeuvring target. Meanwhile, HavocAI will demonstrate autonomous resupply of U.S. and allied warships — a first-of-its-kind multinational autonomous logistics operation.

First International Helicopter Exchange on a Carrier

On June 27, USS Theodore Roosevelt hosted more than 45 military personnel from eight countries — the United States, South Korea, Italy, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Mexico — for an international helicopter exchange. Visiting pilots toured the carrier's hangar bay, flight deck, and navigation spaces, comparing procedures and discussing the unique challenges of operating rotary-wing aircraft in the maritime environment. It is the kind of quiet, professional interoperability-building that rarely makes headlines but shapes how coalitions fight.

What RIMPAC Means for the Indo-Pacific

RIMPAC has run since 1971 — annually in its first years, biennially since the mid-1970s, growing from a handful of Pacific navies to the sprawling 30-nation exercise it is today. The 2026 edition is the largest yet, and its timing — amid rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait and ongoing instability in the Middle East — underscores the strategic importance Washington places on demonstrating coalition naval power in the Pacific. When 30 nations park their warships side by side in Pearl Harbor, the message to any potential adversary is unmistakable: you would not be fighting one navy. You would be fighting all of them.

RIMPAC 2026 runs through July 31. Expect live-fire sinking exercises, carrier strike group operations, amphibious landings, and — for the first time at this scale — autonomous combat and logistics demonstrations that could redefine how allied navies operate together in the decades ahead.