Remarkable signal from the world’s largest naval exercise

Radio CNN On June 1, the RIMPAC 2022 exercise is scheduled to take place from June 29 to August 4. Military units from 26 countries, including 25,000 military personnel, will participate in the exercise.

In addition to the “quad” of the United States, India, Japan and Australia, the five East Sea coastal countries present in RIMPAC 2022 are the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore. The “Quad” group has held two naval exercises since 2020 amid increasing competition with China in the region.

The content of RIMPAC 2022 includes amphibious, shooting, missile, anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, anti-piracy, demining, explosive ordnance disposal, diving and rescue operations, according to the US Navy.

The fast attack support ship USNS Rainier and the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in RIMPAC 2016. Photo: US Navy

“RIMPAC 2022 contributes to enhanced interoperability, resilience, and mobility needed to deter and defeat great power aggression across all domains and levels of conflict. In RIMPAC 2022, a network An adaptive, capable partner that trains and operates together to strengthen our joint forces and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the US Navy said in a statement.

Participating in RIMPAC 2022 also includes Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga and the UK.

“Aside from its military merits, the RIMPAC formation demonstrates the informal political power Washington maintains over the region,” commented former Executive Director at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center Carl Schuster. It demonstrates the strength and breadth of America’s global maritime partnership.”

Schuster also noted the inclusion of the Pacific island nation of Tonga in RIMPAC 2022 at a time when China is promoting its influence in the South Pacific region.

RIMPAC was born in 1971. 2022 is the 28th time this exercise has been held.