Partners in paradise: UK among 30 nations involved in massive maritime exercise off Hawaii

· Forces News
Sailors and marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex man the rails after arriving at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii for Rim of the Pacific 2026
A US Navy air-cushioned landing craft – better known in the UK as a hovercraft – transports marines during an offload from amphibious assault ship USS Essex
A US Navy explosive ordnance disposal technician secures a rope on the ground for a Peruvian navy counterpart descending from an SH-60 Sea Hawkat Bellows Air Force Station
US and Indonesian marines conduct close-quarters battle tactics at a live-fire range event at Marine Corps Base Hawaii
An uncrewed surface vessel returns to Sand Island near Honolulu after delivering supplies to amphibious assault ship USS Essex
US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kanye Roach fires an M3A1 Multi-Role Anti-Armour Anti-Personnel weapon system during a live-fire range event at Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Personnel on board the US Coast Guard cutter Hollyhock place a new buoy off the coast of Honolulu as part of a restoration project to ensure the safety of sea lanes
A US Navy diver works alongside a Royal New Zealand Navy diver during a salvage training dive at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
A US Navy Sea Hawk, working with USN and Royal New Zealand Navy explosive ordnance disposal technicians, carries out a training serial off the coast of Oahu
Soldiers from the US Army's 623rd Field Artillery Regiment fire an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a live-fire exercise in Kauai

Thirty nations, 30 ships, five submarines, more than 190 aircraft and over 30,000 personnel have been taking part in an exercise to strengthen partnerships across the Indo-Pacific.

Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026, which is better known as Rimpac 26, is the world's largest international maritime exercise and runs until the end of the month.

Rimpac 26 is hosted by the US Navy in and around the Hawaiian Islands, with Royal Air Force personnel making up the UK contingent.

Not all about military might

While this year's iteration of the biennial exercise has a maritime focus, a key element of the RAF's involvement is humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Rimpac 26 provides an opportunity to exchange lessons, refine procedures and ensure that future responses can be delivered quickly, safely and collectively.

As the region continues to grow in strategic importance, exercising alongside allies and partners strengthens relationships that are essential to responding to future crises whether they be military, humanitarian or environmental.

All images courtesy of the US Department of War