S. Korea departs for U.S.-led maritime drills This photo, released by the Navy on May 31, 2022, shows Rear Adm. An Sang-min (front) and members of his fleet saluting at a naval base on South Korea’s southern Jeju Island on May 31, 2022, before they depart to join the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, a U.S.-led biennial multinational maritime exercise. The Marado (behind them), a 14,500-ton amphibious assault ship, was dispatched on the mission set for June through early August in waters off Hawaii. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
There may be tensions between the countries in the Pacific region with China due to their territorial grab in the South China Sea, but those tensions are being put aside in order to work together during the 2016 RIMPAC exercise kicking off in Hawaii:
U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift speaks to reporters Tuesday, July 5, 2016, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for the kickoff of the Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii and California. WYATT OLSON/STARS AND STRIPES
The hot topic for the Rim of the Pacific remains unchanged from the last version of the maritime exercise in 2014: China.
This marks the second time China has been a full participant in RIMPAC, bringing five ships compared with two in 2014, and the country will play a much larger role.
During a Tuesday news conference kicking off the six-week exercise — the largest so far — Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift was flanked by top commanders from many of the 26 participating nations. Beside him was Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, commander of the U.S. Third Fleet, who is heading the exercise’s combined task force.
Swift’s opening remarks didn’t mention China by name, but his first talking point echoed repeated calls by U.S. civilian and military officials to maintain the U.S.-led status quo in the Pacific region in response to ever-greater Chinese military might.
“[RIMPAC] brings together 26 nations from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania,” Swift said. “This is what the international maritime community does in ensuring the norms, standards, rules and laws that have provided the great stability and security — the foundation for prosperity — that we’ve all enjoyed over the last 70 years.”
The biennial exercise is “a recurring answer to the divisive angst and tensions that put security and stability at risk in this region,” he said. [Stars & Stripes]
This is what the Chinese Navy will be training with the US on during RIMPAC:
As it did in 2014, China sent the hospital ship Peace Ark, along with the guided missile destroy Xian, guided-missile frigate Hengshui, fleet oiler Gaoyouhui and the submarine logistics vessel Changxingdao.
China will participate in a new submarine rescue scenario, among other drills.
“For any country that has submarines, submarine rescue is very important,” Tyson told reporters. “I think it’s great we’re bringing these submarine rescue capabilities together so that we understand what is available in case we have an emergency with a submarine. There is a global system that will respond if any of us were to have an emergency with a submarine.”
You can read more at the link, but something of interests is that all surface vessels during the exercise are required to “Go Green” and use biofuels to power their ships.
