30 Nations, 30,000 Personnel Participate in RIMPAC 2026 Military Exercise

A total of 30 countries, more than 30,000 personnel, 31 surface ships, five submarines, and over 190 aircraft participated in the multinational Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 military exercise in and around Hawaii over recent weeks. Commander of the Combined Task Force (CCTF) for RIMPAC 2026, Vice Admiral Jeffrey T. Jablon, stated during a virtual media briefing on Wednesday that the exercise, which began on 24 June, is entering its final week and will conclude on 31 July. “Over the past several weeks, we have brought together 30 countries, more than 30,000 personnel, 31 surface ships, five submarines, and over 190 aircraft to train together in and around Hawaii,” Jablon said. He noted that the theme for RIMPAC 2026 is “Partners Integrated and Prepared,” reflecting the primary objectives of building manoeuvre capabilities, maritime force employment, and combined command and control within a multinational formation. Throughout the exercise, participating nations conducted more than 500 maritime training events, over 2,400 flight sorties, and responded to more than 5,000 exercise-based problem scenarios. These realistic scenarios, he added, strengthened combined readiness across the maritime, air, cyber, and amphibious domains. “We saw tangible improvements in interoperability, including coordinated maritime operations, integrated logistics, and enhanced information-sharing practices that enable this coalition to operate as a unified and capable force,” Jablon said. Beyond combat and joint operations, RIMPAC 2026 also included humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercises. These activities involved military forces, interagency partners, non-governmental organisations, and international observers to practise mass casualty handling, medical triage, logistics coordination, and rapid aid delivery. Japan, which has participated in RIMPAC since 1980, was also involved. Vice Commander of the Combined Task Force, Rear Admiral Takuo Kobayashi, said each iteration of RIMPAC provides a vital opportunity for Japan to improve communication, coordination, and combined operational capabilities with partners, including South Korea. Combined Forces Maritime Component Commander Rear Admiral Kim In-ho stated that the primary goal of RIMPAC is to unite all participating nations as one team. During RIMPAC 2026, South Korea assumed a leadership role in the Combined Force Maritime Component for the first time.