Latest Iteration of RIMPAC Exercise 2022 to Kickoff in the Hawaiian Islands.

By ZACH in AIRCRAFT CARRIER, CANADA, FRENCH NAVY, JAPAN, NAVAL, NEW ZEALAND, NEWS, PATROL VESSEL, PHILIPPINES, SUBMARINE, SURFACE COMBATANT, TRAINING, USA  June 30, 2022

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The U.S. Navy and allied nations kicked off the latest iteration of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise on the 29 June. The five-week-long multinational exercise will take place in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California before coming to an end on the 4 August.

Participants in the exercises include twenty-six nations, 38 surface ships, four submarines, nine national land forces, more than 170 aircraft, and approximately 25,000 personnel.

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) passes the Battleship Missouri Memorial as it arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, June 28. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Devin M. Langer)

According to USNI News, USS Abraham Lincoln’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) set sail for Hawaii after the CSG completed training and group sail with ships of the USS Ronald Reagan CSG during exercise Valiant Shield 20, which took place on Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and at sea around the Mariana Islands Range Complex.

The Lincoln is joined by Frigate HMAS Warramunga (FFGHM-152), landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (L-02), and oiler HMAS Supply (AO-195) from the Royal Australian Navy. 

Lincoln departed its home port of San Diego, California, on the 2 January and is currently 7 months into its deployment and will likely head home after the exercise. USS Nimitz has also completed its Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPUTEX) and will likely replace the Lincoln on deployment. As of writing, it remains unclear whether the Nimitz will take part in RIMPAC 2022.

220627-N-OR809-1031 PEARL HARBOR (June 27, 2022) – Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer (DDH-183) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to participate in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022 exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Demitrius J. Williams)

Also participating in the exercise are the helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH-183) and destroyer JS Takanami (DD-110) of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), both vessels left Yokosuka on 13 June for the 136-day-long Indo-Pacific Deployment 2022 (IPD-22).

A wide variety of ships from Latin American navies have also arrived in Hawai’i. One of Chile’s extensively upgraded Type 23 Frigates, Almirante Lynch (FF-07), will partake in the exercise. Peru is sending an ex-Korean Pohang corvette, BAP Guise (CM-28), while Mexico is deploying a surplus American landing ship, Usumacinta (A 412), and the modern light frigate Benito Juarez (POLA 101). Colombia, which is also participating, appears to have only sent staff. 

U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), Chilean Navy frigate Almirante Lynch (FF 07), Halifax-class frigate HMCS Winnipeg (FFH-338) and Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver (FFH-331) transits the Pacific Ocean, June 25, 2022. (US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Megan Alexander)

From further North, two of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax class frigates Winnipeg (FFH-338) and Vancouver (FFH-331), are taking part. 

A variety of ships from the Pacific and elsewhere participating in the exercise include:

• Republic of Korea Navy: Marado (LPH-6112), Sejong the Great (DDG-991), Munmu the Great (DDH-976) and Shin Dol Seok (SS-082) 
• Royal Canadian Navy: Winnipeg (FFH-338) and Vancouver (FFH-331)
• Lekir (F 26) of the Royal Malaysian Navy
• Antonio Luna (FF-151) of the Philippines Navy
• Aotearoa (A-11) of the Royal New Zealand Navy  
• I Gusti Ngurah Rai (332) of the Indonesian Navy  
• Satpura (F 48) of the Indian Navy 
• Prairial (F731) of the French Navy