Article Posted on : - May 06, 2014

Ships and submarines participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2012 sail in formation in the waters around the Hawaiian islands. A US Navy photo

SAN DIEGO (BNS): World's largest naval exercise, the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), will kick off in and around the Hawaiian Islands on June 26, involving 23 nations, including India, 47 ships, six submarines and over 200 aircraft.

The biennial maritime drill, hosted by the US Pacific Fleet, will continue till August 1.

It will provide a unique training opportunity that would help participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans.

The two new participants in this year's drill would be Brunei and Republic of China.

The Chinese PLA Navy (PLAN) will send its hospital ship, the Peace Ark, which will take part along with the US Navy's USNS Mercy in the multinational exercise.

The PLAN is also expected to send a frigate, a destroyer and an oiler for the naval drill.

China has previously taken part in the exercise as an observer, but never sent its ships before.

During the large-scale drill, the participating nations will test and demonstrate a wide range of their naval capabilities ranging from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting.

Amphibious operations including gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defence exercises as well as counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal and diving and salvage operations will be conducted as part of the drill.

The other participating nations in RIMPAC 2014 are Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga and the UK.

The theme for this year's RIMPAC, which is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971, is "Capable, Adaptive, Partners."